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TRAGIC: Jhessye Shockley dissapeared last year after allegedly being abused by her mother

US POLICE will begin to search a landfill outside of Phoenix, in hopes of finding the body of a missing 5-year-old girl.

Jhessye Shockley disappeared from her home on October 11 last year, which sparked an intensive search by police and local volunteers.

Officers announced yesterday that they will look for the remains of Jhessye, now believed dead, over the next few weeks.

Jhessye's mother, Jerice Hunter, who initially reported her disappearance, became a suspect in the investigation after it was revealed that she had been abusing Jhessye up until her dissaperence.

Hunter's 13-year-old daughter also told police that her sister had been missing since September and claims she had been forced to live a closet while being deprived of of food and water.

The teen also claimed that when she last saw Jhessye her hair had been pulled out and the closet where she was kept 'looked like a grave and smelled like dead people.'

Police arrested Hunter, but were forced to release her from jail a day later after US 'double jeopardy' laws prevents her from being charged with Jhessye's murder if is she has already been convicted of child abuse.

The case continues.