As police search for answers in the death of toddler Mariah Woods, the girl’s grieving father Alex Woods and his fiancé Heather Craft continue to dispute the story put forth by Mariah’s mom. During an interview with Nancy Grace, the couple alleged that the mother and her boyfriend were now trying to shift blame to Mariah’s sibling.
Mariah Woods was just three years old when authorities found her at the bottom of Shelter Creek in Pender County, North Carolina, just 20 minutes away from her Jacksonville home, on Saturday. Earl Kimrey, the boyfriend of Kristy Hunter, the child’s mother, was charged in connection with the little girl’s death.
According to Heather Craft, the fiance of Mariah’s father, Alex Woods, Hunter reportedly tried to blame the little girl’s death on her 10-year-old son.
“Earl Kimrey and Kristy are trying to say that that’s why…and now that Earl panicked and was trying to clean it up.”
According to Craft, law enforcement reportedly isn’t buying Hunter’s alleged story, but the cause of death hasn’t been confirmed, pending official autopsy results.
“They’re [law enforcement] are trying to figure out exactly what happened,” Craft told Grace.
“I can tell you right now, [the brothers] didn’t do it,” Grace said. “It’s practically unheard for one sibling to kill another sibling. Yes it does happen in some freaky situations, but no. Typically no.”
Craft expressed disbelief at the allegations, noting the brother was too small to harm the girl.
Hunter has not been charged with any crimes in connection with Mariah’s death and has not been named a person of interest. Mariah’s brother also has not been charged in connection with her death.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, an AMBER Alert was issued on Nov. 26 at around 6:45 a.m. for Mariah, last seen at around 11 p.m. on the previous night, inside their Jacksonville home at 2404 Dawson Cabin Road. At around midnight, Hunter’s live-boyfriend, Earl Kimrey, checked on the toddler and told either Hunter or the toddler to “go back to bed.”
Woods, however, said the story Hunter told LE was completely fabricated. Allegedly, Hunter and Kimrey didn’t even arrive home until midnight on the morning in question. Woods told Nancy Grace that Hunter’s father said the suspect took the little girl’s body and “dumped her” in a creek close to Maple Hill in Jacksonville and dumped her after they arrived home.
Law enforcement has yet to confirm or deny Wood’s allegations. However, an arrest warrant for Kimrey indicated that he’s charged with “removing Mariah Woods’ body from the scene of her death and did conceal Mariah Woods’ death and body, knowing that Mariah Woods died from unnatural causes. The defendant acted with deceit and intent to fraud.”
Meanwhile, Kimrey remains behind bars at the Onslow County Detention Center on a $1 million bond. He’s charged with concealing a body and obstruction of justice .
[Feature Photo: Mariah Woods/Handout]
