PEOPLE Explains: The Case of Mariah Woods, the Slain 3-Year-Old Whose Mother's Boyfriend Was Arrested

On the morning of Nov. 27, Kristy Woods called authorities to report her young daughter, Mariah, had vanished after she’d put her to bed the night before. Authorities issued an AMBER Alert and began investigating the case, ultimately leading to the Friday arrest of Earl Kimrey, Kristy’s live-in boyfriend.

Last Saturday — five days after 3-year-old Mariah Woods was reported missing — her remains were found in a creek in Pender County, North Carolina.

Here are four things to know about the case.

1. There Was No Sign of Forced Entry at The Family Home

When authorities arrived at the home from where Mariah vanished, they found no indication that an outsider had forced entry. According to the police report, there were five people in the home the night that the girl disappeared. In addition to Earl Kimrey and Kristy Woods, there were three children in the house: Mariah and her two older brothers.

According to the arrest report, Kristy Woods told authorities that “the last time she saw her daughter was around 11:00 p.m. Sunday when she went to check on her.” Woods also told cops that “her live-in boyfriend checked on the toddler again when she woke up, and told her to go back to sleep. Woods went to check on her the following morning, but alerted authorities at around 6 a.m. when she couldn’t find her.”

“My last memory of her was feeding her and putting her to bed,” Kristy told local station Channel 12. “I told her I loved her and she loved me.”

2. Mariah’s Father Learned of the Disappearance From the Media

Mariah’s father Alex — who is separated from Kristy Woods — says he learned about the news of his daughter’s disappearance when he heard an AMBER Alert announced on the radio. He was shocked to hear his daughter’s name.

“It’s unreal. It’s a nightmare,” Alex told local TV station WCTI-12 on Tuesday. “You hear about this stuff all the time but you never think it’s going to happen to you or your kids.”

Prior to Kimrey’s arrest, Alex added that he was suspicious of the circumstances around his daughter’s disappearance. “Someone just walked right up in there, grabbed the 3-year-old out of the bed and she didn’t cry, she didn’t scream?” he said. “Nobody heard anything? Four people in the house, two adults and two kids someone just comes up and snatches the baby and walks out?”

3. Earl Kimrey Has Been Arrested and Faces Multiple Charges — But Not Murder

Earl Kimrey has been arrested in connection with the little girl’s disappearance and charged with concealing of death, obstruction of justice, 2nd degree burglary, felony larceny, and possession of stolen property. He is being held in the Onslow County Detention Center on a $1,010,000 bond.

According to the arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE, Kimrey is accused of “removing Mariah Woods’ body from the scene of the her death, and did conceal Mariah Woods death and body knowing that Mariah Woods died from unnatural causes, the defendant acted with deceit and intent to defraud.”

The warrant also alleges that Kimrey “failed to notify a law enforcement authority of the death of Mariah Woods and secretly disposed of the dead child’s body knowing and having reason to know the body and human remains of Mariah Woods are of a person that did not die of natural causes.”

• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

4. Earl Kimrey Wore Protective Body Armor In Court on Monday

During his first appearance on Monday, Earl Kimrey was flanked by five law enforcement officers and was wearing protective body armor.

Kimrey, 32, appeared quiet and subdued as he heard the charges against him. He did not enter a plea, and is being represented by a court-appointed attorney. The lawyer, Walter Paramore, did not return PEOPLE’s call for comment.

At a press conference Saturday, District Attorney Ernie Lee said that Kimrey could face additional charges after the autopsy results are released.