ONSLOW COUNTY -- It was a very somber Sunday morning at the Dawson Community Church. Folks from around the county came out to worship and also to remember little 3-year-old Mariah Woods.

Several people at the church are mourning the loss of a local child.

“I mean I know that she’s in a better place now but just knowing that her little body was out there alone… I’m just glad she’s been found,” community member Tarah Theis said.

Theis is the mother of a 3-year-old and she said this incident hits close to home for her.

After nearly a week long search, a body believed to be little Mariah was found Saturday night in a creek in Pender County.

Authorities have charged Earl Kimrey, her mother’s live-in boyfriend, with concealing a death among other things.

Even in the wake of tragedy, Theis says the outpouring of love and support has been amazing. Whe helped feed the more than 1,000 people that searched for Mariah.

 “The amount of goodness that it’s brought in, some of the best people and energy and willingness to help that I have ever seen. Itis all God’s glory bringing everyone together the way that he has,” she said.

Pastor James Deluca echoes that.  

 “Everybody was willing to do everything that they could to see that she was found. No matter what,” he said.

Now, the small community looks to move forward together.

“If we don’t react to it in a loving way then we are going to harbor that in us, and we will have hostility to it. And we will wish him or her the worst and we are not going to ever find any peace or closure,” Pastor Deluca said.

Theis said that Kimrey was once in her own home around her kids doing handyman work.

As for Kimrey, he’s set to make his first court appearance Monday morning before a judge.