HAMPTON — Police have found a body they believe to be Noah Tomlin, the 2-year-old toddler missing since June 24.
“We continue to keep those who love Noah and his family in our hearts and in our prayers,” Hampton Police Chief Terry Sult said during a briefing Wednesday.
At approximately 8:50 a.m. police found the remains of a child at the city’s steam plant, Sult said. The chief said the scene is still being processed and an autopsy has not been done at this time.
“Noah is the epitome of an innocent victim,” Sult said. “He like all innocent victims deserve better”
“Noah is now in a better place,” the chief said.
The six-phase operation to find Noah consisted of four independent searches at the toddler’s home and two at the steam plant, Sult said, adding investigative and search teams spent more than 10,000 man hours looking for Noah and sifted through about 1,000 tons — or 2 million pounds — of garbage.
Noah was last seen by his mother, Julia Tomlin, at approximately 1 a.m. on June 24 and reported him missing to police at 11:36 a.m. authorities said.
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Local law enforcement teamed up with state police and the FBI to search for Noah Tomlin in the Buckroe Beach neighborhood and surrounding areas. Trash collection was stopped and search teams even looked in Bethel landfill and city’s main landfill.
Last Friday, Sult said they believe Noah Tomlin is dead and charged Julia Tomlin with three counts of felony child neglect.
Sult added Julia Tomlin’s other children are being taken care of and child protective services is involved.
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Julia Tomlin was previously charged with one count of felony child neglect in 2010 and was sentenced to five months in jail with one year of probation, according to the Newport News Circuit Court records.
WYDaily reached out to the Human Services Department in Hampton about Julia Tomlin and was informed child protective services could not speak about Noah’s mother because of confidentiality guidelines.
“We cannot confirm or deny anything at all,” said Wanda Rogers, director of the Human Services Department in Hampton.
WYDaily also reached out to Human Services in Newport News and was unable to get in touch with someone from the department or child protective services.
WYDaily sent an email to Venerria Lucas-Thomas, the director of Human Services in Newport News.
Kim Lee, spokeswoman for the city, responded.
“We do not discuss CPS cases,” she wrote in an email.
