Autopsy details child death
Medical examiner rules out fall as cause of death for 10-year-old Malayshia Allford.
By Pedro Tanaka ·
A new autopsy report provides the first official cause of death for Malayshia Allford, the 10-year-old girl found dead in South Jersey last week. The findings confirm she died from blunt force trauma and contradict any theory that she fell.
The medical examiner identified multiple injuries on Allford's body. These include a fractured rib, bruising on her head and torso, and whip-like marks across her legs. The report states these injuries are not consistent with a fall.
Carprice Williams, the 36-year-old foster mother charged with murder, was arrested on November 5, the day after Allford's body was located in Lindenwold. Williams worked as a fifth-grade teacher at Lewis C. Cassidy School in Philadelphia.
A criminal complaint alleges Williams subjected Allford to ongoing abuse before her death. Witnesses told investigators that Williams threw the child down stairs and denied her food and water. The complaint also states Williams forced the girl to wear a weighted vest while repeatedly walking up and down stairs.
Prosecutors claim Williams attempted to hide the crime after the fact. Court documents show Williams sent text messages from her own phone to Allford's device after the girl was dead. She allegedly used Allford's phone to send a reply to those messages.
City leaders are responding to the case with calls for accountability. At least two Philadelphia City Council members plan to introduce a resolution seeking a hearing with officials from the Department of Human Services. This follows a community gathering Monday night where residents demanded a closer review of the foster care system.
