Caprice Williams, 36, the foster mother of 10-year-old Malayshia Alford, has been charged with murder, Philadelphia prosecutors said. The girl's body was found in a car trunk in Lindenwold, New Jersey, after a 10-day search. The investigation is ongoing.
Caprice Williams, 36, a foster parent of 10-year-old Malayshia Alford, has been charged with Alford's murder, according to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. Prosecutors said Williams, the girl's foster mother, has been charged with murder. Krasner said Williams faces multiple charges tied to the homicide of the 10-year-old girl from West Philadelphia.
The charges
Williams was arrested on multiple charges including murder, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal use of a communication facility, possession of an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person, tampering with evidence and abuse of corpse. Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski outlined the charges beyond murder, which include endangering the welfare of a child and abuse of a corpse.
Where the body was found
Alford's body was found around 11 p.m. Wednesday in the trunk of a vehicle at an apartment complex in Lindenwold, New Jersey, about 15 miles from her home in West Philadelphia. Police said the discovery came after a 10-day search. Investigators said the car was near the Stonington Court Apartments.
Cause of death
A preliminary postmortem examination at the New Jersey Medical Examiner's Office determined the initial cause of death was blunt force trauma and the manner of death was homicide. Toczylowski said a medical examiner reached the same determination about the girl's initial cause and manner of death.
Surveillance video
Law enforcement recovered surveillance video recorded at approximately 1:53 a.m. on Oct. 26 that shows what they believe to be her body being moved out of the home. Toczylowski said officials believe the footage from around that time on Monday shows the girl's body being moved from the home. The video led investigators to a suspect vehicle and then to her body.
Timeline and background
Officials said Alford went to school on Thursday, October 22, and was seen returning home that day. She did not attend school the following day and was reported missing Monday, October 26. The School District of Philadelphia said she was a 10-year-old Robert E. Lamberton student. The victim was identified as Malayshia Alford, correcting earlier accounts that she was known as Jalayshia.
Investigation status
The criminal investigation remains active and ongoing. Authorities have not released information about possible additional suspects.
