Nationwide — Jalayshia Alford, a 10-year-old African American girl from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been found dead inside the trunk of a vehicle in Lindenwold, New Jersey, after being missing for 10 days. Her foster mother, 36-year-old Caprice Williams, has been charged with murder one day after investigators discovered the child’s body. Police found her body Wednesday night at an apartment complex in Camden County. Her discovery ended an extensive search involving local law enforcement and the FBI, which had been looking for her since she was reported missing in late October. Investigators had searched several areas of Philadelphia before expanding their efforts to nearby locations, including parts of Cobbs Creek.
Alford lived with her foster mother, 36-year-old Caprice Williams, on the 500 block of North Simpson Street in West Philadelphia. According to Fox 5 NY, Police said the child was last seen on Thursday, October 22, after attending school and returning home that day. However, she did not show up for school the following morning. Authorities received a missing person report on Monday, October 26, prompting a search that continued for more than a week.
Family members, friends, and community members also joined the effort to locate the missing girl. They distributed flyers throughout Philadelphia and neighboring areas of Delaware County in hopes of finding information about her whereabouts. Meanwhile, investigators followed leads and searched locations around the neighborhood where she lived. The investigation eventually led authorities to the apartment complex in Lindenwold, where they found her body inside a vehicle.
On Thursday, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced that Williams had been charged with Alford’s murder. The authorities have not provided further details about what led to the child’s death or the circumstances surrounding the discovery of her body. The murder charge marks a major development in the investigation, although the case will continue through the legal process.
Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson also responded to the news, expressing grief over the girl’s death and calling for accountability. In a public statement, he said every child deserves to grow up in a safe and loving environment. He also shared that the case was particularly difficult for him as a father of two young children. Johnson also called for a closer examination of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and the systems responsible for the child’s care. He urged Krasner to pursue the case to the fullest extent of the law, adding that those responsible must be held accountable.