Mother of Jacksonville missing 5-year-old arrested after human remains found in Alabama
The mother of Taylor Rose Williams, the missing Jacksonville 5-year-old girl, was arrested Tuesday evening.
Brianna Williams, a decorated Navy officer, was charged with child neglect and giving false information to an officer, said Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams during a press conference Tuesday evening.
The sheriff’s office did not specify what child neglect occurred or what information was false.
Williams was arrested at a Jacksonville area hospital because she had overdosed after possibly ingesting something, deputies said. Deputies could not say if Williams had attempted to commit suicide.
She is in “serious condition,” Williams said.
The time frame of the overdose is also unknown.
Earlier on Tuesday, deputies announced they had found human remains in a wooded area between the cities of Liden and Demopolis in Alabama — more than seven hours away from Taylor’s home in Jacksonville. Authorities did not identify whose remains they found; forensic tests are being done.
Police conducted the search in Alabama because Williams is from that area. Authorities were conducting a 30-square-mile search around her childhood home when they found the remains.
Investigators did not say whether the mother’s overdose happened before or after the remains was found.
On Monday, Williams was named as a person of interest in Taylor’s disappearance.
Authorities are still asking for tips on anyone who saw Williams and Taylor between Alabama and Jacksonville in the last two weeks. If you have information on the pair, call 904-630-0500.
Local, state and FBI officials aren’t the only ones searching for Taylor. The hashtag, #FindTaylorWilliams, has grown in popularity over the last few days.
This story was originally published November 12, 2019 at 6:02 PM.
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