Earl Kimrey now charged with murder in death of Mariah Woods

ONSLOW COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Nearly eight weeks after the body of Mariah Woods was found in a pond, her mother’s boyfriend is now charged with murder.

Earl Kimrey, 32, was originally charged with Obstruction of Justice, Conceal an Unattended Death, Possession of Stolen Goods, Second Degree Burglary and Larceny After Breaking and Entering.

An autopsy was performed on December 4 by East Carolina University in Greenville. On January 22, chemical and toxicology results came back, showing the cause of death was chloroform toxicity.

The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office has now charged Earl Kimrey with 1st Degree Murder and Felony Child Abuse Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury/Death. Kimrey is being held without bond.

3-year-old Mariah Woods was reported missing from her home on the morning of November 27 by Kimrey, her biological mother’s boyfriend.

The sheriff’s office says it was reported that Mariah and her brothers were all put to bed by their mother, Kristy Woods on the prior evening and everything was fine. The following morning when the mother awoke, Mariah was missing. Kimrey provided a story that indicated that after the mother was asleep, Mariah had gotten up but was sent back to bed. Kimrey further explained that he left the home for a short period of time and left the door unlocked.

Once the report was received by the Sheriff’s Office, the search began. It included numerous local, state and federal agencies. Members of the military and numerous citizen volunteers searched many miles of residential, woodland and farm land in an effort to find Mariah.

Hundreds of tips and leads were followed by investigators with little results. The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office has collected more than two hundred and fifty items of physical evidence during this investigation. Many of these items have been submitted for additional forensic examination to the FBI Forensics Lab in Quantico, Virginia.

Leads developed during the investigation led detectives to the Holly Shelter Creek bridge in Pender County where a dive team recovered Mariah’s body on December 2.

Kimrey’s first appearance is set for today at 2 p.m. in Onslow County District Court.

“The death of a child is always a sobering reminder of how fragile life is. When the community is so deeply affected by such a horrific crime it is sometimes difficult to not allow our emotions to influence the decisions that we make. However, the best way to honor Mariah is to ensure a fair and thorough investigation, which will lead to a successful prosecution. We must remember that through these moments, together, as a community we can ensure that justice will be delivered for Mariah. We sincerely thank the community for their patience and support through this entire investigation” Sheriff Hans Miller states.

The sheriff’s office say Mariah’s mother, Kristy, has been cooperative with the investigation and continues to cooperate with the detectives as the investigation continues. These additional charges do not mean the investigation is concluded but will continue until all leads and information is thoroughly evaluated.