Authorities found a baby boy's body in a Greenville County landfill Thursday morning, a day after charging his mother in his death.

Vernita Lashon Jones, 25, of Clewiston, Florida, was charged with homicide by child abuse in the death of 6-month-old Anthony Frost, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

More:Search for baby's body underway at Greenville County landfill

The Johnston Police Department in South Carolina had requested a SLED investigation after police learned through a tip that a woman dumped a baby’s body in a dumpster over the weekend. That dumpster’s waste had been brought to the Twin Chimneys Landfill in Greenville County, said Thom Berry, a SLED spokesman.

An arrest warrant states that Jones admitted to law enforcement that she suffocated her child and had "an extreme indifference to human life."

Jones was taken to the Edgefield County jail on investigative detention before she was served with SLED's arrest warrant Wednesday evening.

She appeared before a magistrate Thursday morning for an arraignment, during which she was denied bond, according to the Edgefield County Detention Center.

The Greenville County Coroner's Office will work closely with SLED on the investigation. Crime-scene agents began the collection process Thursday morning to see if additional evidence can be found near where the boy's body was located, Berry said.

"We are certainly relieved that we have been able to recover this body, which we believe to be that of 6-month-old Anthony Frost, and can now return this infant to their family," Berry said.

Investigators began an exploratory search Thursday morning after several hours of searching Wednesday had yielded no results. Crews were staged at the landfill and prepared to excavate the land and meticulously comb through layers of waste. Thankfully, Berry said, those efforts were not needed when investigators found the boy's body during a preliminary search before 9 a.m. Thursday.

"They were staged and ready to do a hand search in the areas of the excavated landfill should that be necessary," Berry said.

About 50 investigators and first responders had come to the site. The landfill's records helped show investigators where the Johnston dumpster would have been emptied.

Dunklin Fire Department Chief Travis Scott said the crews had gathered for a group prayer just after arriving on scene Thursday morning. They stopped to pray together again after the boy's body was found.

"We prayed for resolution, peace and comfort for all parties involved," he said.

The landfill sits on 1,155 acres at 11075 Augusta Road in Honea Path, according to Greenville County's website.

Investigators were still set up on top of a hill at the landfill to process evidence and document the scene as of Thursday afternoon.

"This process began late Wednesday afternoon and continued until dark and resumed a little before 9 a.m. this morning," Berry said Thursday. "So to be able to recover the body literally within a couple of hours is certainly welcoming for us because of the fact that we were able to find the body so quickly and be able to continue to investigation."

Dump-truck driver Tiffany Phillips said she showed up to deliver waste to the landfill Wednesday as crews were already on scene to search for the baby's body. She returned Thursday for another delivery around the time when the body was found.

"I cried. I did. I was crying," she said.

Berry said Jones has had multiple interviews with law enforcement while in custody. SLED agents are also interviewing other people, Berry said.

It was not immediately known how long Jones had been in South Carolina.

"She had come to South Carolina recently. We are still in the process of determining whether it was just for a visit or if it was a plan for a longer stay," Berry said.

The search effort was spearheaded by SLED's child fatality unit.

"These are people that are trained and they deal with child deaths. I'll tell you, there's a special place in heaven for these people," Berry said. "Just imagine what they have to deal with."