Malayshia Allford, 10, was found in a car in South Jersey after a search involving Philadelphia police and the FBI.
PHILADELPHIA — The foster mother of a missing 10-year-old Philadelphia girl has been charged with murder after investigators found the child dead in the trunk of a car in Lindenwold, New Jersey, authorities said Thursday.
Caprice Williams, 36, faces murder and several related charges in the death of Malayshia Allford, according to Philadelphia prosecutors. Authorities said Malayshia was last known to be alive at her West Philadelphia foster home on Oct. 22. She was reported missing four days later, setting off a search involving local police, the FBI, relatives and community members.
Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said investigators obtained surveillance video that appeared to show Malayshia’s body being removed from the West Philadelphia home at about 1:53 a.m. Oct. 26. Prosecutors said the footage helped investigators identify a vehicle and locate a person they wanted to question. Information developed from that investigation eventually led authorities across the Delaware River to Camden County, New Jersey.
Malayshia’s body was found late Wednesday in the trunk of a vehicle at the Stonington Court Apartments in Lindenwold, authorities said. Prosecutors said the discovery occurred at about 11 p.m. A medical examination determined that Malayshia died from blunt force trauma and that her death was a homicide. Authorities have not publicly released a complete account of when or how the fatal injuries were inflicted.
Williams was charged with murder, endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse and related offenses, according to prosecutors and local reports. The charges are allegations, and Williams is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Authorities have not announced a motive, and prosecutors said parts of the investigation remain active.
The case developed from a missing-person investigation that initially focused on Oct. 26. Philadelphia police had said Malayshia was last seen around 7:30 a.m. that day near the 500 block of North Simpson Street in West Philadelphia, where she lived. As investigators gathered additional evidence, prosecutors said they concluded she had actually last been seen alive several days earlier, on Oct. 22.
Malayshia did not attend school after that date, according to local reporting. Police and federal agents searched several locations while reviewing surveillance recordings and speaking with people connected to the case. Investigators also searched areas in West Philadelphia as concern grew that the child could be in danger. A separate discovery during one search was determined to involve animal remains rather than the missing girl.
The surveillance evidence obtained Wednesday became a major development in the investigation. Toczylowski said the footage led investigators to a vehicle and then to a person authorities wanted to interview. Information from that interview helped law enforcement locate the car in New Jersey where Malayshia’s body was found, prosecutors said. Authorities have not publicly detailed the role, if any, of other people who may have been involved in moving or concealing her remains.
Officials said Malayshia had been in foster care, a circumstance that has also brought scrutiny to the systems responsible for her welfare. Philadelphia officials said the Department of Human Services was involved in her care but noted that confidentiality laws limit what the agency can publicly disclose about an individual child’s case. City Council President Kenyatta Johnson called for a closer review of the circumstances surrounding Malayshia’s disappearance and the systems entrusted with protecting her.
Malayshia attended Robert E. Lamberton Elementary School in Philadelphia, according to the School District of Philadelphia. School officials expressed condolences to her family, classmates and others affected by her death. Community members also gathered near locations connected to the case and left balloons, stuffed animals and other memorial items after authorities announced that the search had ended with the discovery of her body.
Mayor Cherelle Parker said the girl’s death had deeply affected her and pledged that city agencies would work with law enforcement to determine what happened. Philadelphia police, prosecutors and federal investigators had spent days searching for Malayshia before the New Jersey discovery. Her relatives also appealed publicly for help during the search and later asked for privacy as the family mourned.
Authorities said the homicide investigation remains active. Prosecutors have not announced whether anyone else will face charges, and significant questions remain about the events between Malayshia’s last confirmed sighting on Oct. 22 and the discovery of her body on Nov. 4. Williams’ criminal case is expected to proceed through the Philadelphia court system, where prosecutors will be required to prove the allegations against her.
Author note: Last updated November 5, 2026.