Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS Senior Assistant New Hampshire Attorney General Susan Morrell speaks to media representatives this afternoon after a body believed to be that of missing Merrimack boy Elijah Lewis was found in nearby woods. Next to Morrell at left is Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz, while Massachusetts state police Colonel Christopher Mason. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

ABINGTON, Massachusetts — The intensive search for Elijah “Eli” Lewis, the 5-year-old boy last seen a month ago at his Merrimack home, has apparently concluded on a tragic note with the discovery this morning of a child’s body buried in woods in this northern Plymouth County town of 17,000 people.

“This morning, a state police cadaver dog located, buried in the ground, what is believed to be the body of Elijah Lewis,” Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz told a gathering of media representatives early this afternoon.

Cruz referred to a police K-9 that is specially trained to sniff out human remains or deceased bodies called cadavers.

Cruz said that although officials have little doubt the body is that of Elijah, an autopsy scheduled for tomorrow at the office of the Massachusetts medical examiner will make an official determination.

The autopsy is also expected to reveal the cause and manner of Elijah’s death, Cruz added.

Courtesy photo A photo of Elijah "Eli" Lewis, the 5-year-old Merrimack boy who was last seen about a month ago at or near 7 Sunset Drive in Merrimack. (Courtesy photo)

New Hampshire Senior Assistant Attorney General Susan Morrell, who also spoke at this afternoon’s press conference, said the body was “covered with soil,” an indication that it was found not far beneath the surface.

Morrell and Cruz declined to elaborate on the new information Massachusetts police said they received late Thursday, which they said pointed them toward a wooded area off Chestnut Street near the Ames Nowell State Park.

Asked specifically whether Elijah’s mother, Danielle Dauphinais, and her companion, Joseph Stapf, provided the new information, Morrell and Cruz likewise declined comment.

“Once we have the cause and manner of death, we’ll determined what additional charges, if any, will be brought” against the couple,” Morrell said.

She referred to the fact that Dauphinais and Stapf have both been charged with criminal offenses connected to Elijah’s disappearance. Dauphinais faces three counts of witness tampering and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, while Stapf is charged with one count each of witness tampering and endangering the welfare of a child.

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS A road sign points the way to Ames Nowell State Park in Abington, Massachusetts, where a body that is likely that of missing Merrimack boy Elijah Lewis was located this morning. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

They were located last weekend in The Bronx, where New York City Transit officers took them into custody on warrants issued in New Hampshire.

They waived formal arraignment, and remain incarcerated pending their next appearance in December in Hillsborough County Superior Court South in Nashua.

Meanwhile, a candlelight vigil will take place Sunday evening starting at 6:30 at Watson Park, 441 Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack.

Organized by MJ Morrison, who is related to Eli and some members of his family, the purpose of the vigil is to “bring awareness to Elijah’s story and show support to all of Elijah’s loved ones,” according to Morrison’s message posted on Facebook.

Additional information, including parking instructions, can be found on the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/events/176045481359119.

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS A Massachusetts state trooper speaks with a representative of the Chief Medical Examiner's office, who arrived at the scene where a body presumed to be that of Elijah Lewis was found early today. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

An updated story, and coverage of the vigil, will be posted at www.nashuatelegraph.com as information becomes available.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.