Body of missing 10-year-old girl found in trunk of car in New Jersey: Everything we know

We begin at five with a tragic update tonight. Philadelphia police sources tell us 10-year-old Jalaysia Alford, known by loved ones as Malaysia, was found last night inside the trunk of a car in South Jersey. A devastating and sad end in the search for this little girl, first reported missing more than a week ago. I'm Sheba Russell. Thank you for joining us for the news at five here. Her family says Jalaysia was last seen at her foster home Along the 500 block of North Simpson Street in West Philadelphia, investigators finding the car with her remains at an apartment complex in Lindenwold, Camden County. Some big questions tonight. Who killed her and when and how did she get there? We have team coverage for you tonight. Our team is spread out across the area. Seanette Wilson was at West Philadelphia at Gelatia School. She has since moved. Chris O'Connell is in Lindenwald. But let's begin with Kelly Rule, live outside the little girl's home. And Kelly, you've been following this story for days now. Just a heartbreaking development for her family and this tight-knit community, which we can see behind you. Yeah, it's just heartbreaking to say the least. We've been out here as investigators searched all week. The community came out to search last night and they were planning to come out here and have a search party today. But instead, sadly, they're having a vigil now in her honor. A huge show of support from the community, neighbors, young people that knew her. We talked to some girls that went to school and camp with her and people that did not know her, but have been moved by this case and are devastated that this is the outcome. As you reported, again, law enforcement sources told me today her body was found in the trunk of a vehicle. Thank you. We'll be right back. Until they were led to her body last night. As we reported, sources told me Delicia went to school on Thursday, October 22nd and was seen coming home to her foster mom's home on the 500 block of North Simpson Street but was not seen since. She did not go to school the next day on October 23rd and was reported missing on Monday, October 26th, several days after she was last seen. And that was one of several red flags for investigators. Her uncle did come to the growing memorial here moments ago. He is the brother of Delicia's father. Here's what he had to say. Okay. I'm heartbroken. Please keep my family up here. But I needed to come out here to be around the support. Because there's all this support out here for my niece. And a lot of questions need to be answered. I'm still, the uncle, still waiting for answers. I had to look at the news to find out my niece was... So, a detective still ain't called me. That's all. Thank you. THE COUNTRY OF GOVERNMENT. I'm upset, but I will be, I will be. CHAOS. . . . You're gonna see my face a lot. . . I'm coming for everybody that did my niece wrong. . . . This shouldn't have happened. . She put, my brother got here, . . they were supposed to help my brother. . . . He going through some tough times. . . We all had tough times. . . I'm just now getting myself together. . . But he loved his daughter. . . . Thank you. . . . And we just want everybody to pray for us right now. You can hear the devastation in his voice, Sheba, and the sentiment that we've heard over and over from people out here is that this poor girl was failed, sadly, on so many levels. Yeah, that is absolutely true. On so many levels, just 10 years old, Kelly. I've been watching your reports there for several hours and watching this community grow bigger and bigger. Do you know why they chose pink? Pink and I believe white balloons out there. I'm seeing the same theme in New Jersey. You'll recall the picture that we showed of her over and over, the one from police where she's throwing a peace sign up. She's wearing pink in that picture, and I think that was why people wanted to bring out pink balloons for her today. All right. Thank you so much, Kelly. Let's turn now to Chris O'Connell, who is live in Lindenwold, New Jersey. And Chris, you're learning more about what led investigators there to the Stonington Court Apartments. That's right, Sheba. Just a stunning and heartbreaking end to the 10-day search for Delicia Alford, ending here early this morning when her body was found in the trunk of a car inside this Lindenwald apartment complex, as investigators still try to piece together what happened here, and we're going to find out more in the next episode. Half hour or so, a community is coming together to mourn that little girl whose disappearance touched so many lives. For much of the night, this Lindenwald apartment complex was swarming with police. By morning, word was spreading about the grim discovery. I went home. When I woke up this morning, I seen a little bit of activity still, but I still didn't pay it any mind, and it hit me once I saw the update, oh, they found a little girl. This Lindenwald mother didn't want to be identified, but she did want to do something to honor the little girl she never knew. Returning to the complex with balloons and a teddy bear, a small tribute to a child Who never made it home. I went to get her some balloons and a bear, a teddy bear. I hope other people just leave stuff out for her. She was a little girl. She was 10. After 10 days of searching, law enforcement sources say Jalasia Alford's body was discovered in the trunk of a car parked here at the Stonington Court Apartments. That's roughly 20 miles from her West Philadelphia neighborhood where family, friends, and volunteers had been desperately searching for her. I wanted to cry. I wanted to cry. Malcolm Jordan was one of those helping in the search for Jalasia back in West Philadelphia. He also owns a restaurant not far from where her body was discovered. He says her death raises troubling questions about the foster care system meant to protect vulnerable children. Any children that are going through these similar situations in foster care, those situations need to be addressed. Those situations need to be dealt with so that way we can prevent something further like this happening. For days, volunteers had scoured streets, parks, and wooded areas, hoping to bring Jalasia home safely. Now, there is grief, anger, and a desperate need for answers. All of us black men, we're out in West Philly looking for this little girl. And just to find her right down the street from the restaurant all the way over here, man, is just heartbreaking. As we bring you back out here live, you see... People, as we speak, placing more balloons, more teddy bears, more stuffed animals here. And keep in mind, Sheba, these are and even more people showing up as we speak. These are people that didn't know, presumably didn't know this family, didn't know that little girl. But just painful reminders that at the center of this investigation is that 10-year-old girl whose life ended way too soon. All right, Chris, just so tragic there. Thank you for the update.