The autopsy of 3-year-old Mariah Kay Woods in North Carolina released on Wednesday, July 18, reveals disturbing details about her death.
The toddler was the subject of a nationwide Amber Alert last year after she disappeared from her home. She was reported missing from her home on the morning of Nov. 27, 2017. A dive team recovered her body from a local creek five days later, NTD reported.
Dr. Karen Kelly, who conducted the autopsy, confirmed Mariah died of chloroform toxicity. Her body, wrapped in trash bags which were tied around her neck, was found inside a zippered couch cushion cover with a “large portion of a solid cement material” inside, the autopsy said.
The examination also said Mariah had bruises and abrasions on her face. No physical evidence suggested she had been sexually assaulted.
Mariah had been living with her mother, Kristy Woods, and her mother’s boyfriend, Adolphus Earl Kimrey II, before her death. Mariah’s biological father, Alex Woods, told Sun Journal that he lost a custody battle for Mariah in the courts because he could not afford the attorney fee.
Kimrey was charged with first-degree murder in January after police disclosed the toddler’s cause of death. He had been charged with felony child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury/death, concealing a death, obstruction of justice, and other alleged crimes in the same case, NTD reported.
He is held in jail without bail. Onslow County District Attorney Ernie Lee announced in February that he will seek the death penalty in the case against Kimrey, NewsChannel 12 reported.
Kristy Woods has not been charged in this case.
Hans Miller, Onslow County sheriff, told NewsChannel 12 that someone else could still possibly be charged if any new evidence shows up: “The investigation is certainly not over.”
Janita Kan and Holly Kellum from NTD Television contributed to this report.
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