UPDATE: Mother's Boyfriend Charged in Death of Missing Toddler

From Good Housekeeping

Update, December 4, 2017: Hours after authorities arrested Earl Kimrey, Kristy Woods's live-in boyfriend, a dive team located the body of 3-year-old Mariah Woods in a North Carolina creek.

The Onslow County Sheriff's Office charged Kimrey on Friday with concealing a death and obstruction of justice, among other potential crimes. While details are still forthcoming, investigators believe that Kimrey knew the girl died of unnatural causes, and then "secretly disposed of the dead child's body," according to the warrant issued.

"It was too late to save Mariah the moment the 911 call came in," said FBI agent Stanley Meador of the call Kristy Woods made Monday to report her daughter missing. "The arrest warrants are public record and the records speaks for themselves. We will not discuss any details related to the homicide investigation."

Kimrey is due in court today while being held on a $1 million bond. He's previously been charged with other crimes like larceny, assault and drunk and disorderly conduct, according to state records.

The medical examiner's officer will soon make a positive confirmation of the recovered remains.

Original, November 28, 2017: Kristy Woods says she checked on her sleeping daughter Kristy around 11 p.m. on Sunday night. When she woke up the next morning around 6:30 a.m., the 3-year-old was gone.

Now, the FBI is joining local and state authorities as they comb Jacksonville, North Carolina, and the surrounding area for any sign of the missing toddler. As the hours tick by since her disappearance, Kristy is appealing to the potential abductors for the safe return of her only daughter.

"I'll do anything that I can, whatever you want, just bring her home please safe and sound," she pleaded on an interview with WCTI. "She's my baby, she's my everything."

Mariah, who weighs about 30 pounds, has an orthopedic leg problem that would prevent her from wandering off, her grandmother told WNCT. The family says the brown-haired, blue-eyed girl would not have left with a stranger. While their Jacksonville home showed no signs of forced entry, Kristy and her live-in boyfriend say the back door was unlocked. Mariah's two older brothers were also home.

The circumstances caused authorities to issue an Amber Alert on Monday as they employ helicopters, drone and K-9 units to search for any trace of the missing girl. WCTI reports that officials have already interviewed Kristy and her boyfriend in addition to searching their home and vehicle.

However, Mariah's biological father says that something doesn't feel quite right about the disappearance. "Someone just walked right up in there, grabbed the 3-year-old out of the bed and she didn't cry, she didn't scream?" he told WCTI. "Nobody heard anything? Four people in the house, two adults and two kids someone just comes up and snatches the baby and walks out?"

According to the latest reports, law enforcement is currently collecting evidence from around Mariah's home in addition searching the wooded area behind it, which belongs to the Marines.

"We don't know what happened," Onslow County Sheriff Hans Miller said this morning. "It's entirely premature to try to determine what happened."

Kristy describes her daughter as goofy, outgoing and talkative.

"This is my world, this is my angel," she said. "She was sent to me for a reason. This is my everything besides my boys, the love that I have for this girl. The bond that I have ... is my life. Please, just don't take that."

Anyone with information about the child's whereabouts is asked to call 911, Onslow County Sheriff's Office Investigations Division at (910) 989-4070, or Crime Stoppers at (910) 938-3273.

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