Maranda Faris

The Jackson Sun

PINSON — Law enforcement officials said evidence of Noah Chamberlin, a 2-year-old reported missing in Chester County, has been found in the woods, leading officers to believe the toddler is nearby.

Madison County Sheriff John Mehr, who has assisted in the search for Noah since Jan. 14 when he was first reported missing, said that evidence search teams have found led law enforcement to believe the toddler is still in the woods.

"We have some leads that we have recovered," Mehr said.

Mehr would not comment on what leads or evidence have been found.

Community pauses to pray for Noah

Chester County Sheriff Blair Weaver said that volunteers would not be used in the search Wednesday night due to expectations of severe weather. Weaver said the weather has the possibility of making the already difficult terrain more dangerous for volunteer searchers.

"It's too treacherous and muddy," Weaver said.

Madison County Fire Chief Eric Turner said the ice from Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning had created a dangerous search area, and closing the search to volunteers would be used as a safety precaution.

"It's dangerous out there. In those hills, it's really muddy, and it's frozen overnight," Turner said. "It's just added to it. It's just so slick you can hardly walk through there."

Weaver said that, though volunteers would not be needed on Wednesday night, law enforcement would not be leaving the area.

"We haven't stopped. We're not going to stop," Weaver said. "We will be there."

Woods, sinkhole near Noah search area

Weaver said volunteers from across the country have joined in the effort to find Noah, and those volunteers are appreciated by all the agencies involved in the search.

"That just shows that we're supported and they believe in what we're doing," Weaver said. "We still believe he's out there, and evidently a lot of people do, too, because they're coming to help us. We appreciate the support and appreciate the help."

Turner said the ongoing search operations are still expanding, including more than 1,000 acres of property. About 100 to 200 acres were added to the search area Wednesday.

"We've expanded further out, and brought them back into the center area and rechecked the whole area," Turner said.

Weaver and Mehr said the search will eventually have to scale back due to the inclement weather expected in the area, and some equipment might be needed elsewhere to respond to dangerous conditions in Madison County and other parts of Chester County. Between 1 and 4 inches of snow is expected starting late Thursday night into Friday morning.

"We're going to probably in the next few hours and days start scaling back," Mehr said. "With the weather that's coming in, supposedly, by Friday, we'll have to scale back the search."

VIDEO: Rescuers searching for Noah Chamberlin encounter sinkholes

Weaver said the search would continue, even if some equipment has to leave the search area due to weather conditions.

"We're not leaving," Weaver said.

Mehr said the search has not been labeled as a rescue operation or a recovery operation by law enforcement. Officials' main concern is simply to find Noah Chamberlin.

"In our minds, we're not breaking it down into a rescue or recovery, any of that," Mehr said. "It's just location and locating Noah."

Both Mehr and Weaver rejected speculation that Noah's family may have been involved in his disappearance, saying that lies and unfounded rumors have been spread on social media. "We have thoroughly vetted all of that," Mehr said, in response to questions on the family's background. The family are "good citizens," Mehr added.

Noah was reported missing at 1:19 p.m. Jan. 14 after police said he was walking in the woods with his grandmother and 4-year-old sister off Short Road. Noah's grandmother told police the three were on a walk when she looked away from the toddler for a short time and turned back to find him gone.

Noah is about 2 feet tall and 25 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeved gray shirt and blue jeans. Noah was last seen in the woods behind his grandparents' home on Short Road in Pinson. If you have seen Noah call the Chester County Sheriff’s Office at (731) 989-2787 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Reach Maranda at (731) 425-9657. Follow her on Twitter: @MarandaFaris