Body Believed To Be Missing Five-Year-Old Elijah Lewis Found In Abington
ABINGTON (CBS) -- The body of five-year-old Elijah Lewis was believed to be found in Abington Saturday. The Merrimack, New Hampshire boy was reported missing on October 14.
Ames Nowell State Park in Abington was closed to the public as police searched the area Saturday morning. Investigators returned to the park after beginning their search there on Friday. Police moved to the area after receiving corroborated information about the park on Thursday night.
A New Hampshire cadaver dog found remains buried in the woods in a shallow grave.
A medical examiner will do an autopsy on the body to confirm the identity. The manner and cause of death will also be determined. No one has been charged with his death at this time.
"Obviously a little boy is gone. Nobody deserved to die this way and we need to make sure we do everything in our power to make sure we can get justice for this little boy," said Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz.
"We are very saddened about this situation, about Elijah's death, and the fact that he was disposed of down here in the woods. Our sympathies go out to his family, and friends of the family, and to the community who is mourning his death," said New Hampshire Senior Assistant Attorney General Susan Morrell.
Elijah's mother Danielle Dauphinais and her boyfriend Joseph Stapf were arrested in New York City on warrants for witness tampering and child endangerment.
Neighbors in the tight knit community called the boy's death horrifying.
"We're a close neighborhood and everyone has felt this very strongly. There's been blue ribbons that have been put up through the neighborhood to find Eli. So it's been a neighborhood effort," neighbor Steven Jaynes said.
"I haven't slept in a week. My neighbors, they're the same way. We've just been doing whatever we can," neighbor Greg Doppstadt said.
The state park has since reopened, DCR said.