The tragic end to the search for 10-year-old Maddelynn Wallace, a non-verbal autistic girl, has left the Waldorf, Maryland community in shock and sorrow. The body of the young girl was discovered in a water-filled quarry after she went missing near her residence in the Brandywine’s Malcolm area.

On Saturday, April 15, at around 5:30 p.m., Maddelynn was last seen, sparking a massive search operation. The Charles County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with numerous search teams and law enforcement agencies in a concerted effort to locate the young girl. The investigation led them to a wooded area filled with quarries.

Autism affects 1 in 54 children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sadly, children with autism, especially those who are non-verbal, are at a higher risk of wandering off or going missing. The National Autism Association reports that nearly 50% of children with autism are prone to go missing from a safe environment.

In this heart-wrenching case, dive crews found the lifeless body about a mile away from where Maddelynn was last seen, submerged in a quarry. Following an autopsy, the County Medical Examiner identified the body as Maddelynn’s and determined that drowning was the cause of death.

While the police are not currently suspecting foul play, the investigation into the incident remains open. The sheriff’s office has extended their condolences to Maddelynn’s grieving family and has yet to provide further details about the case.

The Waldorf community came together in a tremendous display of solidarity, with volunteers and law enforcement personnel searching the woods and surrounding areas for any trace of the missing girl. The devastating news of Maddelynn’s body being found in the quarry brought an end to any hope of finding her alive and left the community mourning the loss of a young life.