'Loss Of A Beautiful Boy': Candlelight Vigil Held In Memory Of 5-Year-Old Elijah Lewis
MERRIMACK, N.H. (CBS) – A candlelight vigil was held Sunday night in honor of 5-year-old Elijah Lewis, the New Hampshire boy who was reported missing earlier this month and was located Saturday buried in an Abington park.
"We're grieving as a family, as a community, the loss of a beautiful boy," Elijah's aunt MJ Morrison said. "I think about his silly personality, the way he loved to dance, those big brown eyes, and his dimples."
More than 100 people attended the vigil.
"We're parents, we're aunts and uncles, we look to protect children, and children are supposed to outlive us. This isn't supposed to happen and it's a life cut short," said Merrimack resident Nancy Murphy, who attended the vigil.
"This child had so much life left to live it just hits me hard being a parent myself," said attendee Michelle Caruso.
Autopsy results on Sunday confirmed through dental records that the remains found were Elijah. The cause and manner of death are pending toxicology testing and other investigations. They will likely not be determined for a few months.
Elijah was reported missing on October 14 and it was later discovered he had not been seen in six months.
Investigators received information that led them to Ames Nowell State Park in Abington Friday as they searched for Elijah.
On Saturday, a New Hampshire cadaver dog found remains buried in the woods in a shallow grave.
No one has been charged in Elijah's death. Elijah's mother Danielle Dauphinais and her boyfriend Joseph Stapf were previously arrested in New York City on warrants for witness tampering and child endangerment.