Police Find Remains Believed To Be Maleah Davis In Arkansas

HOUSTON — A black bag containing what appear to be human remains has been found near the search perimeter in Hope, Arkansas where investigators are searching for the body of Maleah Davis, officials said.

Officials in Hempstead County, Arkansas began searching the area with the FBI after Derion Vence, the former boyfriend of Maleah Davis' mother, told Houston community activist Quanell X that Maleah was dead, and that her body had been dumped along an Arkansas roadway.

Police said the bag with the remains contained bones and blood, and that it was too early to tell if the remains were those of the missing girl.

The alleged confession shifted the search perimeter to Hope, Arkansas after Quanell X and Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller held a press conference on Friday.

"He confessed to me that this was an accident, and that she is dead," Quanell X said. "He told me where the body is and told me where he dumped her."

The confession allegedly came during a visit with Vence inside the Harris County Jail, where he has been held since May 11. Quanell said during a press conference that it was just "two men talking."

Update in Maleah Davis investigation: Our homicide detectives are en route to Arkansas to follow up on new information received in our search and investigation involving 4-year-old Maleah Davis. 1/3
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) May 31, 2019

Miller said he was chartering a flight to Arkansas at 3 p.m. and traveling with several HPD officials to search for Maleah Davis' remains.

"I believe it's true," Miller said.

It’s been a month since 4-year-old Maleah Davis vanished, and any hope of finding the little girl alive has faded.

The search for the missing girl has been suspended for several weeks until officials, who've search areas of north Houston, southwest Houston, Sugar Land, and Rosharon in Brazoria County, could determine a more definitive search pattern.

Earlier this week, Houston Crime Stoppers announced that the $5,000 reward for information in the case was increased to $12,500.

During a May 23 press conference, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said the odds of finding the little girl alive are slim, and pledged $5,000 to bring Maleah home for a proper burial. A Louisiana couple later pledged $10,000 for a total in excess of $27,000 in the case.

READ ALSO: HPD Chief Certain Maleah Davis Was Murdered

Vence, who was the last person to see Maleah alive, is a suspect in her disappearance and has been in the Harris County Jail for three weeks charged with evidence tampering in the case.

Vence told investigators that he, Maleah, and his son were on the way to Bush Intercontinental Airport to pick up Maleah’s mother, Brittany Bowens. Vence told police he developed car trouble, and when he pulled over to check, he was assaulted and knocked unconscious by three men.

RELATED STORY: Finding Maleah: Police Look Near Stepdad's Home For Missing Girl

Vence told police that he woke up nearly 24 hours later, and that Maleah was gone. Vence claimed he walked to the hospital because his car had been stolen, but video surveillance later determined that someone dropped Vence off at the hospital in his car, and drove away.

Vence was arrested May 11 at a home in Sugar Land, a week after Maleah was reported missing. Earlier this week, Vence’s attorney filed an appeal to withdraw as his legal counsel, KPRC reported.

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