After death of 10-year-old West Philadelphia girl, investigators turn attention to foster care system
Philadelphia police and the district attorney's office will be issuing subpoenas to the city's Department of Human Services in the wake of the death of a 10-year-old girl in foster care.
Multiple law enforcement sources confirm they're seeking records about Malayshia Alford's placement with Dr. Carprice Williams.
The Lewis Cassidy Elementary School teacher who investigators say was Alford's foster mother is now charged in her murder.
Williams beat the 10-year-old with an electrical cord and there were patterns of prior physical abuse, sources said.
Malayshia's body was found inside the trunk of a car at an apartment complex in Lindenwold, New Jersey, late Wednesday night. She had been missing for more than a week.
Sources said a relative of Williams lived there and provided investigators with information leading them to Malayshia's body.
Williams was arraigned on charges overnight and ordered held without bail.
A spokesperson for the teachers union referred questions about Williams to the School District of Philadelphia. The district declined to comment on her employment status, citing personnel issues.
Investigative sources tell CBS News Philadelphia police will seek any disciplinary records or complaints made against Williams.
Marci Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania professor and expert on child abuse and neglect, said this case is another wake-up call for serious reforms in the Department of Human Services.
"It's inconceivable this death happened and I and extremely worried that it was preventable," Hamilton said.
Officials declined to say if DHS had any recent supervision of Malayshia or if caseworkers had visited her West Philadelphia home before her death.
"I am very concerned that there be the right investigation of DHS to find out who knew that she was suffering in this setting," Hamilton said.
CBS News Philadelphia has filed open records requests with the city seeking copies of Malayshia's placement file.
