HOUSTON (KHOU)- After a month of searching all over Houston, her remains were found Friday. The cause of her death has not been determined – and may never be.

It’s the news all of Houston knew but didn’t want to hear.

The investigation into how she died continues at this time. Tim Miller with the volunteer search group EquuSearch said it may be impossible to determine, however.

Miller told KHOU 11 over the weekend the child’s remains were left in a plastic bag that was run over by mowers. 

“It was a gruesome sight. It was a terrible sight to see. It took hours gathering up body parts and evidence,” said Miller.

Medical examiners in Harris County are testing what little was left intact.

“They’re doing an autopsy to determine the cause of death. I think it’s going to be impossible,” said Miller.

The image he can’t shake is seeing a little pink barrette among the remains thrown out like trash.

The child’s stepfather initially claimed Maleah was kidnapped the evening of Friday, May 3 in northeast Houston. The claim led to an Amber Alert about 24 hours later and a month-long search.

The stepfather, Derion Vence, remains in jail on charges of evidence tampering. On Friday he told community activist Quanell X where authorities would find Maleah’s body and admitted to dumping her on the side of the road, but he claimed her death was an accident.

“The defendant remains charged with tampering with a corpse,” stated the Harris County District Attorney’s Office on Monday. “Prosecutors continue their review and are working with Houston Police. Additional charges would be filed as the evidence supports doing so. We remain focused on finding the truth and delivering justice for Maleah.”

For more stories like this that matter to you, click here to download the News 10 app for free.

Watch live newscasts, get breaking news and sign up for push alerts – download now