Police in Alabama have identified the remains of a young child as that of missing 5-year-old Taylor Rose Williams of Jacksonville, Florida.
The remains were recovered after a tip led the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department’s Urban Search and Rescue team to a wooded area in Marengo County.
Taylor’s mom, Brianna Williams, was arrested Tuesday and charged with felony child neglect and giving false information to police.
Williams, 27, attempted suicide on Tuesday by taking an overdose of drugs at the U.S. Naval Air Reserve Station, where she works as a chief petty officer in the Tactical Operations Center.
She was airlifted from the Naval base to a hospital where she is listed in critical condition, AJC.com reports.
Taylor was last seen alive when her mother put her to bed on Nov. 6 in her Jacksonville home. Williams said when she awoke the next morning, Taylor was gone and the back door was unlocked.
Williams, who is from the Alabama area, stopped cooperating with law enforcement after they found inconsistencies in her story.
“She has not spoken to us since Wednesday and she was the last person to see Taylor,” Sheriff Mike Williams said during a press conference on Monday. “She is a person of interest in this case and we still need her cooperation in our efforts.”
Williams’ black 2017 Honda Accord was towed from her driveway after a cadaver dog alerted officers to the trunk area.
Police also questioned the Navy Petty Officer about a Craigslist.com advertisement for a babysitter that was placed a day before Taylor was reported missing. The ad mentioned a babysitter “bailed on” Williams.
Police are asking the public to come forward if they saw Taylor with Williams or the car traveling between Florida and Alabama in the past six months. The Honda Accord has tinted windows and black rims.
More than 120 law enforcement officers and volunteers were involved in the search for Taylor.
