The search for a missing 4-year-old Jefferson City boy ended Tuesday afternoon with the discovery of his body.
At a news conference Tuesday, Jefferson City Police Department Lt. David Williams said the body of 4-year-old Darnell Gray was found Tuesday morning in an area that had not previously been searched.
A medical examiner would examine the body to determine cause of death, Williams said. The investigation is continuing, he said.
Williams said he had notified the mother of the death; investigators had told the father.
He thanked everyone for their help in the search for the boy.
The discovery of the child's body came just a day after his mother made a brief public plea, hoping it would help find her son.
More than 100 law officers and other first-responders were involved in the search for the boy who disappeared from his Jefferson City home last week.
Darnell was reported missing shortly before 7 a.m. Thursday from a residence in the 1100 block of Buena Vista Street.
The search for Darnell took in the entire city. Authorities drained a retention pond Sunday on Linden Drive, which is close to the apartment from which Darnell was reported missing. Divers also were out at McKay Lake doing a search Monday.
Members of the FBI offices in Jefferson City and Kansas City, as well as members of the Cole County Sheriff's Department, Missouri Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies, have been involved in the search.
Authorities went over everything that was told to them from the first time they were alerted to Darnell's disappearance, including re-interviewing residents and knocking on doors of the homes of people with whom they had previously talked.
Calls offering support and tips came from Minneapolis, Chicago, Arkansas and other parts of the south.
Williams said the family had been cooperating with authorities during the search.
The community and members of Darnell Gray's family will hold a vigil tonight for their child.
Marianne Asher-Chapman, Co-Founder of Missouri Missing, who also helped the search for Gray, said Tuesday that a vigil was quickly being organized and will be held at Washington Park at 6:30 p.m., in the parking lot across from the ice rink where searchers had met each day.
"I brought a whole lot of candles," Asher-Chapman said.
Meanwhile, officials at Helias Catholic High School posted the following on its Facebook page following the announcement that the boy's body had been found: "With the tragic news that Darnell Gray, the little boy missing from our neighborhood has been found dead, Helias will intend tomorrow (Wednesday) morning's 7:25 a.m. mass in our chapel for the repose of his soul. We are asking all members of the Helias community to unite themselves with us in prayer wherever they may be asking the Lord to comfort those who love Darnell and for law enforcement as they continue their investigation."