Maleah Davis: Body of 4-year-old child found in bag by road crew identified

The remains of a child found by road crews in Arkansas last week have been identified as a 4-year-old girl from Houston.

The girl has been identified as Maleah Davis, but the medical examiner has not yet determined a cause of death.

Maleah’s remains were transported to Houston late last week, and the death is receiving further investigation.

Police in Fulton, Arkansas, have said that the road crew first noticed a black bag with a foul odour. They then determined that blood and the girl’s bones were inside.

A community activist in Houston who has advocated on behalf of the girl’s mother told local media that a suspect named Derion Vence had confessed that the girl died by accident, and that her body was dumped in Arkansas.

That activist, Quanell X, did not specify how she died, however.

“All I can say is he told me it was an accident, and that she is dead and where he dumped her body,” the activist said.

“He pulled over in Arkansas, got out of the car, walked off the side of the road, and dumped her body off the side of the road,” Mr Quanell continued, noting that the confession included specifics related to that location.

Houston Police say that they will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Maleah’s death.

“The Houston Police Department will continue to work diligently with the Harris County District Attorney's Office and other partners to ensure the person(s) responsible for her death, and the attempted cover-up of her death, are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” the police department said in a statement.