Missing 10-year-old Maryland girl found dead

[News_Editor]

PORT DEPOSIT, MARYLAND (BNO NEWS) -- A 10-year-old girl who vanished from her bedroom in Maryland earlier this week has been found dead in a field near her grandparents' home, state police said on Tuesday, adding that they have several leads and persons of interest.

Kami Ring, of Charlestown, was staying at her grandparents' home in Port Deposit on Sunday when she disappeared during the night. She was last seen during the evening when it was assumed that she had gone to bed, but she was reported missing shortly after 11 a.m. local time on Monday when a resident of the home called 9-1-1.

"Ring was found deceased yesterday evening in a field near a home where she had been staying," Maryland State Police spokeswoman Elena Russo said. "The child's body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy. The cause of death has not yet been determined."

Ring's body was discovered at approximately 6:20 p.m. local time on Monday when State Troopers, K-9 Units from the Maryland State Police and Natural Resources Police, along with Chesapeake Search and Rescue, conducted a thorough search of the area. Her body was found in a field near a shed, only 60 yards (55 meters) from the residence from which she went missing.

"Crime scene technicians from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division responded to gather evidence," Russo said. "Assistance was provided by the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit, the MSP Gang Unit, the Maryland State Apprehension Team, and criminal investigators from the North East Barrack."

Investigators said the window screen of the bedroom where Ring was staying had been pushed out, and added that they have several leads and persons of interest. It was not immediately clear whether anyone at the home - the girl's grandparents and one person related to the grandmother - was among those persons of interest.

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