WYTHE COUNTY, Va. -- The body of a missing three-year-old girl was found in the New River early Wednesday morning, the Wythe County Sheriff's Office confirmed. Josie Burleson was reported missing at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
"Upon interviewing the mother identified as Kimberly Dawn Moore and the mother’s boyfriend Adrian Neil Puckett they both stated the child was playing outside near the New River Trail and wandered off," a Wythe County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said. "A search was conducted within minutes of first responder’s arrival to the scene. There were over 100 searchers looking for the child in the fields, trails, and in the water. This search was continuous for over five and a half hours."
The child's body was found in the river at about 1 a.m. Wednesday.
"Kimberly Dawn Moore and Adrian Neil Puckett have been arrested by this agency and both have been charged with Felony Child Neglect with Reckless Disregard for life and Felony Child Endangerment," the sheriff's office spokesperson said. "More charges could be pending as this is an ongoing investigation."
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