A state police cadaver dogs found a body believed to be Elijah Lewis, a 5-year-old boy. The body was found in Abington’s woods on Saturday, Timothy Cruz, Plymouth County District Attorney. A press conference was held by officials from Massachusetts and New Hampshire in front of the Massachusetts State Police Command Vehicle in Abington, 20 miles south-east of Boston.
Based on a tip, the search moved to Abington, New Hampshire this week. Cruz and other law enforcement officials did not share much information about Saturday’s case, but they said that the body’s appearance and condition led them to believe it was Elijah. Cruz stated that they did not want to reveal any information that could jeopardize his chances of getting justice.
To determine the cause and manner in which death occurred, the chief medical examiner of Massachusetts will perform an autopsy on Sunday.
Elijah was last seen in Merrimack, New Hampshire sometime within the past 30 days. However, he was not reported missing until child welfare officials notified authorities. Helicopter searches in the vicinity of his home and nearby lakes by boat did not yield any results.
Lewis’ mother, and a man were both arrested in New York last weekend. They pleaded not guilty to witness tampering charges and child endangerment related charges.
Danielle Dauphinais (35), and Joseph Stapf (30) will remain in custody. They plan to meet their lawyers to discuss bail hearings.
Susan Morrell, senior assistant attorney general in New Hampshire, stated that the autopsy results will determine if additional charges were brought. The search was conducted by multiple agencies from New Hampshire and Maine, as well as Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, and Rhode Island. The investigation is ongoing and active.
Cruz stated, “We’re going make sure that we do everything possible to get justice.”
