ONSLOW COUNTY, N.C. – A 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Mariah Woods, the three-year-old who went missing from her home in North Carolina last Sunday, officials announced Saturday morning, adding that they believe she is deceased.
"Due to evidence gathered during the course of the investigation, it is believed that Mariah is deceased," the FBI and the Onslow County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "At this time, the location of Mariah is unknown. The searches will now shift to a recovery process."
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Earl Kimrey, the live-in boyfriend of the girl's mother, was taken into custody on Friday, the FBI and the Onslow County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
He was charged with concealing of death, obstruction of justice, second degree burglary, felon larceny and possession of stolen property.
Kimrey is currently being held in the Onslow County Detention Center under a $1,010,000 bond. Additional charges could be pending as the investigation continues, officials said.