Who Is Caprice Williams? Foster Mother Charged After Girl Found Dead - Newsweek
A foster mother in Philadelphia has been charged with the murder of a girl in her care, police confirmed.
Caprice Williams, 36, has been charged with the murder of 10-year-old Malayshia Alford, whose body was found in a car in New Jersey on November 4. She had been reported missing from her West Philadelphia home on October 26.
The child's body was found late on Wednesday evening in the trunk of a car in Lindenwold, New Jersey. A medical examiner determined she died from blunt force trauma and ruled her death a homicide.
Williams, who fostered Alford, has been charged with murder, endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, criminal use of a communication facility, and possession of an instrument of crime, Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski confirmed during a news conference on Thursday, November 5.
"She deserved safety. She deserved to be loved. She deserved a chance to grow up," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said.
Newsweek has contacted the Philadelphia Police Department for comment via email.
Williams was the foster mother of Alford, who had lived with Williams for approximately two years, her aunt Yolanda Brown told The Philadelphia Inquirer. According to the newspaper, Williams worked as a teacher for the Philadelphia School District.
They lived together on the 500 block of North Simpson Street in West Philadelphia.
Alford was first reported missing on October 26. Toczylowski said Alford was last seen alive at home on October 22 and that it is believed she "remained there until she was removed from the home."
Toczylowski said police found surveillance footage that showed what "we believe to be her body" being removed from the home in the early hours of October 26. The footage led investigators to a vehicle and subsequently to a person who provided information about the child's whereabouts.
Her body was found in the trunk of the vehicle at 11 p.m. on November 4, with Toczylowski saying that it was "immediately apparent she had been there for a while."
Prior to the news of her death, family members told 6ABC they were struggling with not knowing where Alford was. It is understood she had been in foster care for several years.
"All I'm concerned with is my child. I'm not concerned about nothing else," Nazir Alford said.
Her aunt Nyfisha Alford said it was "really so much pain in not knowing" her whereabouts.
"There are no words that I can employ to remove the unimaginable pain and suffering that the family of Malayshia Alford is experiencing with the tragic loss of their beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, and loved one," Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said in a statement on Instagram.
"Our Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office and the FBI will cross every 'T' and dot every 'I' to uncover all of the facts associated with this heinous and horrific tragedy, and to seek justice for Malayshia."
