Police believe 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley was left in dumpster

Arizona police say they now believe 5-year-old missing Jhessye Shockley was discarded in a Tempe dumpster and now may be in a local landfill.

“We believe Jhessye Shockley’s body was placed in a trash receptacle located in the city of Tempe prior to the report of Jhessye’s disappearance,” said Glendale Police Officer Tracey Breeden. “Our investigators know that trash from this location is removed to a transfer station and ultimately taken to the Butterfield Landfill located south of the valley.”

Officer Breeden said officials suspected for weeks that the body of Jhessye was in the landfill. They have been trying to determine the validity of the claim.

“That includes conducting analysis to determine the likelihood of success of recovering Jhessye’s body. The decision whether to search will be finalized in the coming weeks,” Breeden said.

Jhessye was reported missing on Oct. 11. The girl’s mother, Jerice Hunter, 38, told authorities she left the child in the care of her other children while she ran some errands. She said the girl wandered away from her siblings and was missing when she arrived home.