The search for 10-year-old Jalayshia Alford ended in heartbreaking circumstances Thursday after investigators found her body inside the trunk of a car at the Stonington Court Apartments in Lindenwold, New Jersey. The little girl had been missing from West Philadelphia since October 26. Her body was discovered overnight, bringing a devastating end to days of searching by police, federal investigators and members of her family.
Jalayshia, who also went by Malayshia or May, was last seen near her foster family’s home in the 500 block of North Simpson Street in West Philadelphia. According to police, she was last seen around 7:30 a.m. on October 26. Her foster mother reportedly told investigators that the child had left home to walk to a school bus stop but never returned.
Her disappearance quickly became a major concern for her family and investigators. Philadelphia police issued a missing-child alert and appealed to the public for help locating her. The FBI later joined the search as officers went through the neighborhood, questioned residents and collected surveillance footage that could help establish what happened to the child.
Investigators also searched nearby areas, including Cobbs Creek Park, as they tried to follow leads about her whereabouts. On Wednesday evening, November 4, officers searched an area of the park after possible remains were discovered. Those remains were later determined to belong to an animal. The search continued as investigators worked to find answers.
Then came the devastating discovery in New Jersey. Law enforcement sources confirmed that Jalayshia’s body was found inside the trunk of a vehicle at the Stonington Court Apartments in Lindenwold. The car reportedly belonged to a relative of her foster mother. Authorities have not publicly explained how the child ended up inside the vehicle or how long her body had been there.
The discovery has also brought renewed attention to the timeline surrounding Jalayshia’s disappearance. Her aunt, Yolanda Brown, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the girl had been living with her foster family for about two years. Brown said the foster mother contacted her and claimed Jalayshia had gone to her biological mother. However, the family contacted the biological mother and could not find the child with her.
Investigators also recovered surveillance footage showing Jalayshia returning from school on October 22. However, they had not located footage showing her on the block again after that date. Brown said she was told the girl had not attended school on Friday or Monday. She also questioned why the disappearance was not reported until the afternoon of October 26. Law enforcement sources have described inconsistencies in the foster mother’s account and the timeline provided to investigators.
Jalayshia was described by her aunt as a shy, timid and smart little girl. She had three siblings, and her family had spent days trying to find her. Her former teacher, Tashonna Moore, also remembered her as a sweet and kind child. The news of her death has left those who knew her struggling to understand how a young girl who had been missing for days ended up dead in a car trunk.
As of Thursday, November 5, investigators had not announced a confirmed cause of death. The circumstances surrounding her final days remain under investigation, and authorities have yet to publicly establish what happened between her last known sighting and the discovery of her body. The FBI, Philadelphia police and other investigators are working to establish the full sequence of events.
For Jalayshia’s family, the search that began with the hope of bringing a missing child home has ended with a loss no family should have to face. She was only 10 years old. Her loved ones are now left waiting for answers about the final days of her life and the circumstances that led to her death.
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