Foster mother charged with murder after 10-year-old found dead

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner charged 36-year-old Carprice Williams, the foster mother of missing 10-year-old Malayshia Allford, with murder after the child’s body was found in South Jersey. Williams, who also works as a teacher for the Philadelphia School District, was arraigned and ordered held without bail, with a next court date set for November 23.

A medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by blunt-force trauma. Surveillance video from Oct. 26 showed a body being moved from a residence on North Simpson Street, leading investigators to a suspect vehicle and ultimately to the location where the body was discovered in a car at the Stonington Court Apartments in Lindenwold, New Jersey. Prosecutors said signs of abuse were present, though details were not released.

The community in West Philadelphia has gathered around a memorial of balloons outside the home where Allford was last seen. The School District of Philadelphia issued a statement expressing sorrow for the loss of a student from Robert E. Lamberton School. Family members have asked for privacy and urged the public to refrain from judgment as they mourn.