Jalayshia Alford, 10, found dead more than a week after she was reported missing: sources

We do have breaking news, and it is in the story of 10-year-old Jalasia Alford. Remember, she is the young girl. She was in foster care. It's the story that Kelly Rule has been reporting on for the bulk of the week. So we're going to go live to her. You have some really sad, unfortunate news about this story. This was the update that everyone feared. We do know and can confirm now, according to law enforcement sources, that the body of 10-year-old Jalasia Alford was found in Lindenwald, New Jersey last night, sadly in the trunk of a vehicle. Sources tell me that vehicle belongs to the foster mother's relative. Really quick, I want to show you what's happening here now on the 500 block of North Simpson Street. I said this was an update that everyone feared, and by everyone I mean certainly investigators, family, friends, and the community. The community, this is a tight-knit block here, and I'm told from community advocates that they were planning to have a search party here at 2 o'clock, and now instead they're having a vigil, which is, you know, just, again, not what they wanted to be doing today. They wanted to be out here helping to look for her, helping to find her safe. So, again, according to law enforcement sources, she was found last night in Lindenwald, New Jersey. I'm told from sources that investigators were led there, and, again, she was found in the trunk of a vehicle belonging to the foster mother's relative. I am told from sources that one person is in custody, being interviewed by homicide detectives, but so far no arrests or charges. This is an update 10 days after she was reported missing. As I've reported all week, sources did tell me that Jalasia went to school on Thursday, October 22nd, and was seen coming home to the 500 block of North Simpson Street that day, but she has not been seen since. And it was not until Monday, October 26th, that she was reported missing. And we know, again, from sources that There were some inconsistencies in the foster mother's statement, the timeline of things, the delay in reporting, and that's kind of what raised red flags this week and got the FBI to jump in and get involved. And we know that they were a part of this ongoing search as well. Last night, we also brought you to Cobbs Creek Park, where police and the FBI searched. And at that point, they thought they had made a discovery. It turned out that there was nothing there. But then not long later, again, they were led. By someone to her body in Lindenwald, New Jersey. We know that her family was out here in the community this week as well. We spoke with them. They were hanging up flyers, hoping for her safe return. We have not spoken to them yet today. I can't begin to imagine what they're going through. But, Jen, we are hearing that there could be a press conference later today, this afternoon. So certainly we will bring you the latest once we have that information. Kelly, you've done an excellent job. And, again, it was the update that no one wanted to hear. It was the update that many people had feared. Because we're in this format, we get to ask you a couple more questions because the time does allow it. Any more information on the amount of days in terms of there was a delay in reporting her disappearance? Any idea what was happening or what was going on there? We're not sure, and we don't know at this point how long she might have been in that vehicle in Lindenwall, New Jersey. But again, what we were told kind of consistently was that Thursday, that October 22nd, Thursday, she went to school. She's seen on video actually coming home to this block, and that was the last time she was seen. She is not on video leaving for school Friday. She does not attend school that Friday. She is not seen Saturday or Sunday, and again, she's reported missing that Monday. And again, I think it was that. Delay in reporting that concerned investigators. Also, according to family members, they were told by Delasia's foster mother that she was with her biological mother. So at first there was some concern with family, or confusion, I should say, with family members. They thought maybe she was with family, and then they quickly realized she wasn't. And I know when I spoke with her aunt earlier this week, she told me that she felt like that kind of delayed things because at first they thought she was with family, then they learned she wasn't, then they learned there was a delay. So it just kind of spiraled from there. If there is family, I mean, not sure if they're available to take care of her. Do we know why she was in foster care if there is family in this area that knows about her, knows who she is? Sadly, we do not. We do not. I did hear, her aunt did tell me that she believed she was in this foster home for at least two years. And I know for some of her family members, they hadn't spoken to her in two years. So I'm not sure if there was an incident two years ago, but just tragic. So tragic all around. It seems like sadly, this girl might've been failed on many levels. And you know, behind you, you couldn't, and I saw you peek back. There's, you know, neighbors that are hugging each other. They're embracing. It bears repeating. It really is the news that no one wanted to hear. As you say, they were organizing a search party and the balloons are there, pink. We know that, you know, the picture that we've seen of her, she's wearing pink. Kelly, excellent reporting as always, working your sources. We're going to have more on this story throughout the next 90 minutes. Thank you. We appreciate that. We're going to take a quick two-minute break and come right back.