4-year-old reported missing in Warren County found dead

Emrie, a 4-year-old from Hamilton Township has been reported missing. CONTRIBUTED/HAMILTONTWPPD

Emrie, a 4-year-old from Hamilton Township has been reported missing. CONTRIBUTED/HAMILTONTWPPD

Hamilton Twp. police in Warren County said a search Sunday for a missing 4-year-old identified as Emrie has ended with her body being found in a pond.

“Unfortunately we have located the body of 4-year old Emrie in a nearby pond,” the department said in a statement Sunday night. “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.”

She was last seen in the Turning Leaf subdivision around 12:30 p.m. Police had searched the area with K-9s, drones and on foot.

“Just before 8:00 the dive team and the folks in the boats were scanning around the outside of the pond near where the rocks were and, unfortunately, they found Emrie’s body there in the pond,” Hamilton Twp. Police Chief Scott Hughes said.

The search lasted for roughly eight hours. Residents had been asked to check any cameras they might have and to call 911.

After her body was found, Hughes fighting tears, said: “This, this sucks, right? This just sucks. I mean, she was, she was four years old. There’s nothing really you can say.”

The Hamilton Twp. police department held a press conference around 4:45 p.m. where they said the young girl was still missing. Police said they have security camera footage that shows her walking away from her driveway with no shoes on.

Police said then they were searching a pond behind the family’s home. The Turning Leaf Way subdivision is located off of U.S. 22/3 near the Countryside YMCA Maineville.