The search for missing 4-year-old Fiedwenya Fiefe came to a tragic end late Friday, according to the Plainfield Police Department. The body of a child matching the description of Fiefe was found in a body of water in the Legacy Farms subdivision in Plainfield.
A statement posted to social media Friday evening from the Plainfield Police Department read:
"Despite the valiant efforts of our citizens, volunteers, police, fire, along with local and state agencies, the search for missing NeeGee has come to a devastating and heartbreaking end.
This evening a body of a child that matches the description of NeeGee was located in a body of water in the Legacy Farms subdivision. Exact confirmation as to the child's identity will be determined by the Hendricks County Coroner's Office.
We ask that the public please keep Fiedwenya Fiefe's family in their thoughts and prayers and respect their privacy at this time."
This story will be updated.
Original story:
The Plainfield Police Department asked volunteers to help Friday in the search for Fiefe
"We've been searching about 24 hours now," said Joe Aldridge, Plainfield Deputy Chief.
At about 3 pm Thursday, Plainfield Police and Fire responded to the Legacy Farms neighborhood on a report of a missing child. Her parents reported that she wandered away from home.
Police are now asking for any adults wishing to assist in the search to meet at the Legacy Farms subdivision at US-40 and Eddy Way. Searchers will be paired with public safety officials. By 3 pm more than 300 people had joined the effort, Aldridge said.
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Fiefe is nonverbal and autistic, Aldridge said. She's drawn to music and water and has wandered away from home before, he said. Part of the search effort has focused on multiple retention ponds in the area. The search has been taking place in the Legacy Farms, Forest Creek and Sugar Grove neighborhoods and surrounding areas.
Volunteer searchers are scouring areas surrounding the three neighborhoods, looking in fields and beyond tree lines, officials said.
Shannelle Healy, who has been a resident of Plainfield for more than 15 years, said she's helping with the search because she has children.
"If the same thing were to happen to me, I would love the community support," Healy said.
Her 9-year-old son has ADHD and she knows how impulsive he can be, she said. Her group looked through a field and walked around a nearby neighborhood.
"I can't imagine what her mom is going through right now," Healy said. "She's a good mother. She did the right thing. She got the police involved at the right time. Sometimes, these things happen. You just have to trust, hope and pray."
Volunteers from nearby towns joined the search. Jennifer Davee, of Danville, and Gretchen Evans, of Moorseville, joined in the search for Fiefe Friday afternoon. They both have children.
"I would hope someone would come out and look for me," Davee said.
"I was just going to say the same thing," Evans said.
For about an hour, volunteers scoured fields and neighborhoods in the area. The search ended at about 3 pm, but officers continued looking for Fiefe. There are currently no plans for additional volunteer searches, said Jared McKee, Plainfield Director of Public Safety. If that changes, Plainfield Police Department will make a public announcement on how the public can help.
Police have been using drones, a helicopter, rescue canines, watercraft, sonar and off-road vehicles in the search. Dozens of officers and firefighters were searching the area Thursday. Although police had to scale back their search during the dark Thursday, the search continued Friday. Canines finished searching Friday morning, allowing volunteers to assist in search efforts Friday afternoon.
Police asked that neighbors in the area comb their property to look for her, looking in shrubs and under porches.
Multiple departments have been assisting in the search, including Indiana State Police, Plainfield Fire Territory and Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Fiefe is three 3 feet 5 inches tall, 35 pounds and was last seen on video surveillance wearing a long pink night gown. She is believed to be in extreme danger, according to a Silver Alert issued for her Thursday at about 5:30.
Anyone with information about Fiefe's whereabouts should contact the Hendricks County Communications Center at (317) 839-8700.
Contact Phyllis Cha at pcha@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @phyllischa.
This article originally appeared on the Indianapolis Star: Search for Plainfield 4-year-old ends ends in tragedy