HAMPTON, Va. - In a news conference Wednesday, Hampton Police said they believe the body of missing Noah Tomlin has been found. The 2-year-old had been missing since June 24.
Hampton Police Chief Terry Sult made the announcement outside police headquarters. He said the body was found at the city steam plant at 8:50 a.m.
Noah was last seen at 1 a.m. last Monday at his home in the Bayside Mobile Home Village. His mother, 34-year-old Julia Tomlin, who was arrested andcharged with three counts of felony child neglect in connection with his disappearance, reported him missing at 11:35 a.m. that day.
Police have presumed Noah dead but had continued to search the city landfill and steam plant, where trash is also taken.
Related: Community 'heartbroken' and 'angry' after possible discovery of missing Hampton toddler
In 2010, Julia spent five months behind bars after pleading guilty to felony child neglect. Court documents say her then-1-year-old daughter was severely burned after Julia sat her down on a hot kitchen stove.
Hampton Police conducted a six-phase search process that involved land, sea and air searches. The Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue and numerous local, state and federal partners assisted the department in their efforts.
Four independent searches were conducted in the area of Noah's home and the Buckroe Beach area of Hampton. Two additional searches focused on the city landfill and the Hampton NASA steam plant.
The FBI provided resources, agents and analysts to offer technical support, including the Behavioral Science Unit. More than 10,000 hours were estimated to have been put into the search, and crews sifted through about two million pounds of garbage by hand.
On Wednesday, Newport News Police shared their condolences for all affected by the news.
Investigators, forensic technicians and the Medical Examiner's Office are currently processing the scene to formally identify the remains. The investigation is also being coordinated with the Commonwealth Attorney's Office.
If you know anything that could help police, take action and call (757) 727-6111.
