"I've been in this job for a long time and this is, without a doubt, the most tragic press conference I've ever done," the police chief said.
A four-year-old girl from Ohio was found dead in a pond where she liked to feed fish just hours after she disappeared from her home Sunday, People reported.
Little Emerie Schandorf-Woode's body was found dead in the pond she would frequent Sunday evening at 8 p.m. as confirmed by Hamilton Township Police in a Facebook post an hour after her discovery.
“Unfortunately we have located the body of 4-year old Emerie in a nearby pond. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with this heartbreaking tragedy. Thank you to everyone in our community who came out and assisted in the search,” the police wrote.
On Monday, police held a press conference where Police Chief Scott Hughes said “our worst fears came true,” before repeating “this sucks.”
Her body was found by dive teams, FOX 19 reported. The coroner determined her cause of death was drowning.
The girl was caught on Ring cameras about noon Sunday when she was last seen. She was barefoot and going down her driveway, police said.
After she was announced to authorities that she had disappeared from her home, multiple agencies in the area including the FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Warren County Dive Rescue & Recovery Team, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Mason police, all aided in the Hamilton Township Police search, FOX 19 reported.
The school district where the young girl attended issued a statement which was obtained by FOX 19.
“It is with the deepest sadness that we share the tragic news of the death of one of our young Panthers, four-year-old, Emerie Schandorf-Woode, who would have entered Preschool in just a few short weeks. Every young death is tragic, but it is so profoundly heartbreaking to lose a precious child this young,” the statement said. “Counselors at each school building are available for any student or staff in need of grief and mental health support.Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the Shandorf-Woode family & friends during this time. Panther Nation let us come together & lift them up.”
The family has not publicly commented on the matter but community members have set up a GoFundMe page to “help ease some of the burdens and challenges [they] will face."
