Foster Mother Accused of Killing 10-Year-Old Girl, Then Telling Relatives She Had Returned to Her Biological Mother

A desperate search for a missing 10-year-old girl in Philadelphia ended in tragedy after investigators discovered her body inside the trunk of a car in New Jersey. The child’s foster mother, 36-year-old Carprice Williams, has been charged with murder and several related offenses in connection with her death. Prosecutors say the investigation uncovered disturbing evidence suggesting the girl had suffered abuse before she died.

The victim, Malayshia Alford, was last seen alive on October 22 at the home she shared with Williams on North Simpson Street in West Philadelphia. Four days later, on October 26, she was reported missing. According to investigators, Williams allegedly told relatives that Malayshia had gone to live with her biological mother. But family members became suspicious when they learned that the biological mother did not have visitation rights and that the child was not at her home.

As detectives worked to establish what had happened, surveillance footage became a crucial part of the investigation. Prosecutors said video recorded in the early hours of October 26 appeared to show what investigators believed was the child’s body being removed from the Philadelphia home inside a bag. The footage helped authorities identify a vehicle and locate a person they wanted to question. That individual eventually directed investigators to a vehicle in Lindenwold, New Jersey.

Late Wednesday night, November 4, authorities found Malayshia’s body inside the trunk of the car. Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said it was immediately apparent that the child had been there for some time. A preliminary postmortem examination determined that Malayshia died from blunt force trauma, and her death was classified as a homicide. Prosecutors also said investigators had found indications of repeated abuse, including bruising and scarring, and evidence that objects may have been used to inflict injuries.

Williams was arrested and charged with murder, endangering the welfare of a child, abuse of a corpse, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, recklessly endangering another person, possession of an instrument of crime, and criminal use of a communication facility. Authorities have emphasized that the investigation is ongoing. Importantly, prosecutors said the person seen moving what investigators believe was the child’s body out of the home was not Williams, and that person’s role remains part of the investigation.

Williams was denied bail during a court appearance on November 6 and is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on November 23. Malayshia’s death has left her family and members of the Philadelphia community grieving a child whose life should have been protected. As investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding her final days, the case raises painful questions about the warning signs of abuse and the systems meant to keep vulnerable children safe.

Source: Law&Crime