GRPD: Jozlynn died at home Monday

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Jozlynn Martinez died Monday night in her home and her body was disposed of in a trash receptacle, said Grand Rapids police chief Kevin Belk late Friday.

In a statement, Belk said  Jeffrey Malmberg admitted to investigators the 2-year-old died in the home and he disposed of her body. Police have been searching the Kent County Waste-to-Energy facility.

Belk said the child's body has not been found, and would not say whether police believed the death was accidental or deliberate.

Jozlynn's mother, Consuela Martinez, still hopes the police and Malmberg are wrong about her daughter being dead.

"I know they are looking for her body. If they don't find it, I won't have closure, and my son won't have closure. We have no proof," Martinez said.

Malmberg was arraigned on kidnapping charges earlier Friday, and remains in jail on a $1 million bond.

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Here's the full full text of Chief Belk's statment:

On Tuesday, February 23, 2010, the Grand Rapids Police Department was notified of a missing 2 year-old child from 915 Nagold St NW.

The mother of the child, Consuela Martinez, told police she last saw her child on Monday evening along with her live in boyfriend, Jeffery Malmberg, and a second child who is 7 months old.

Martinez said when she woke up at 9 am on Tuesday morning, Malmberg and her daughter, Jozlynn, were not at home. Also missing at the time was money from the home. Martinez first thought that Malmberg, who in the past has taken the child for a few hours in the morning, was running errands and would be returning. Martinez checked throughout the day with family and friends and was not able to locate Malmberg or Jozlynn.

On Wednesday afternoon, February 24, 2010, an Amber Alert was issued for both Jozylnn and Malmberg. The Kent County Prosecutors Office authorized an arrest warrant charging Malmberg with one count of kidnapping and one count of larceny.

As a result of the Amber Alert, a citizen contacted the Grand Rapids Police Department. Malmberg was located in the City of Lansing. He was returned to Grand Rapids and has spoken to investigators.

The suspect, Jeffery Malmberg, has told Grand Rapids Police Department and FBI investigators that Jozlynn Marie Martinez died on Monday evening at 915 Nagold NW and that he disposed of her body in a nearby trash receptacle.

Grand Rapids Police Department and FBI personnel, since last evening, have searched through over 200,000 pounds of trash at the Kent County Waste to Energy Facility on Market Street SW. The two-day search involved nearly 70 investigators. Despite our efforts, we have yet to find Jozlynn's body. Our search continues at this hour.