Missing South Carolina Child Update: Police Shift From Missing Person To Recovery Effort

New information about missing 5-year-old Nevaeh Lashy Adams has prompted police in Sumter, South Carolina, to move from a missing person search to a recovery effort.

Adams was first reported missing by family when her mother, Sharee Bradley, 29, was found dead in her apartment Monday evening. Witnesses had reported seeing Daunte Maurice Johnson, 28, an acquaintance of Bradley’s, leaving her apartment near the time of the murder. The full extent of their relationship is unknown at this time.

Johnson was later found in the neighboring area and taken into custody by the Sumter Police Department. After questioning, he admitted to killing both Bradley and her daughter, reportedly disposing of the child’s body in a city dumpster, according to a report by WIS News.

“Finding this little girl is first and foremost and we have and will continue to use every resource available to make that happen,” Chief Russell Roark said in an official statement. “Our prayers are with the family and we will continue to assist them throughout this tragic ordeal.”

The Sumter County Coroner’s Office determined that Bradley had been dead for several hours before her family discovered her body. Based on current information, authorities believe Adams was killed around the same time.

Johnson is currently being held at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Department Detention Center on a murder charge with his first court date pending. Officers are working to learn more about his background, as he is also a suspect in a Missouri homicide.