MERRIMACK, N.H. (WHDH) - After a missing 5-year-old was found dead in Massachusetts, residents of his hometown in New Hampshire came together Sunday night for a vigil to remember the boy.
Elijah Lewis was reported missing earlier in the month and was last seen at his home in Merrimack, New Hampshire sometime within the last 30 days, officials said. An investigation led them to search a park in Abington on Friday and Elijah’s body was found Saturday.
An autopsy Sunday conclusively identified the body, but it will take months for officials to determine the cause and manner of death, officials said. Elijah’s mother, Danielle Dauphinais, and her boyfriend, Joseph Stapf, have pleaded not guilty to charges of witness tampering and child endangerment in connection to the investigation.
Many people in town did not know Elijah, but Merrimack Town Councilor Nancy Murphy said they felt connected to him during the search.
“He’s Merrimack’s child and the community is heartbroken,” Murphy said. “We are here because each of us is more deeply touched because we know the light that was Elijah no longer shines on this earth.”
Elijah’s aunt MJ said she was not related to the boy by blood but he was still part of her family, and she thanked community members for their support.
“Thank you for loving Eli, that meant everything to us. All the people who were standing behind me, those are all people who loved Eli. Thank you for being here for us, we really do appreciate that,” MJ said. “Now we as a family will be able to properly lay him to rest and have the closure we needed.”
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