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ENTERPRISE, Ala. (BFMG) — After a 40-day search through millions of pounds of trash at the Coffey County Landfill failed to locate the remains of 2-year-old Genesis Nova Reid, Enterprise officials say their focus is now on prosecuting her mother, Adrienne Reid, who is charged with capital murder in the child’s death.
Genesis was reported missing on Feb. 16, 2026, when Adrienne told police her daughter had walked away from their apartment on Apache Drive. Investigators now allege the toddler was killed nearly two months earlier, on Christmas Night 2025, and that her mother disposed of her body afterward.
Enterprise Police Chief Michael Moore said investigators gathered enough evidence to present the case to a grand jury, which found probable cause that Adrienne murdered Genesis on Dec. 25, removed her from the apartment and discarded her remains. Fifty-three days later, Moore said, Adrienne falsely reported the girl missing, prompting a large-scale search for a child who, by then, was already dead.
Based on the evidence, authorities believe Genesis’s body was placed in a dumpster at the apartment complex, which led to one of the largest search operations the Wiregrass region has seen. On May 7, law enforcement agencies from across Alabama converged on the Coffey County Landfill, beginning what Moore described as an extraordinary mission to “bring Genesis home.”
For 40 working days, officers from federal, state, county and municipal agencies worked side by side with forensic anthropologists from multiple universities, local CERT members, heavy equipment operators, landfill experts and support staff, combing through an estimated 10 million pounds of refuse. Crews examined more than 20,000 bones — all ultimately determined to be non-human — and opened dozens of intact trash bags for individual inspection.
“This was never the work of one agency,” Moore said. “It became the work of an entire community, united by compassion and an unwavering commitment to a child who deserved to be found.”
Moore thanked officers, investigators, forensic specialists, volunteers, and support teams for their “extraordinary” professionalism and sacrifice, and praised local businesses, churches and civic groups for donating food, drinks, supplies and other assistance to sustain crews working in intense heat and difficult conditions.
On July 10, after experts confirmed the targeted landfill area had been thoroughly searched, officials ended the operation without finding Genesis’s remains.
“While we did not achieve the outcome we all prayed for, this operation should never be viewed as a failure,” Moore said. “If Genesis had been in the area we searched, I firmly believe these dedicated professionals would have found her.”
Moore noted that investigators were hampered from the beginning by the 53-day gap between Genesis’s death and the time she was reported missing, which deprived them of critical time and created uncertainties about exactly where her remains were taken after Christmas Night.
“The landfill search answered one important question: it strongly indicates that Genesis was not located in the specific area of interest we believed she had been placed,” Moore said. “That leaves one painful question that continues to weigh on the hearts of this community: what happened to Genesis after Christmas Night? Only one person truly knows where Genesis’s remains are, and that person has repeatedly chosen deception over truth.”
District Attorney James Tarbox said the unsuccessful recovery does not change the state’s view of the case.
“An unsuccessful recovery of the remains does not mean that Genesis is alive,” Tarbox said. “The evidence in this case shows that she was killed on Christmas Day.”
Tarbox emphasized that the grand jury indicted Adrienne before landfill operations began, and that charges of capital murder, abuse of a corpse and felony false reporting remain pending. Her arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 6.
“We feel that there is sufficient evidence for us to convict her,” Tarbox said. “Obviously, if we had found her remains it changes how we present that case to a jury; however, we do believe that the evidence is there, and it is our office’s intent to move forward. At the end of the day, we owe that to Genesis. We owe that to our community.”
Tarbox and Moore both described the landfill search as extraordinarily tedious. Between 50 and 60 law enforcement officers and volunteers were on site each day, working in shifts with hand tools to rake and separate trash, examining tiny bone fragments and the contents of individual bags.
“There were bones recovered no bigger than the tip of my finger,” Tarbox said. “That’s how well I know that we searched.”
Moore said the search area spanned roughly the size of two football fields by one football field and ran about 15 feet deep, requiring rented heavy equipment and extensive protective gear. He acknowledged the significant financial and logistical costs but said the priority was always finding the child.
“Our main purpose in this, obviously, is to find a little girl that did not deserve to be there,” Moore said, noting that many of the officers came from agencies already short-staffed, yet volunteered to help. “Every single one was a volunteer that said, ‘I want to help find Genesis.’”
Tarbox said evidence collected so far indicates Adrienne acted alone in the killing, but encouraged anyone with credible information to come forward if they know more about what happened.
“There seems to be only one person involved in this crime, and that’s Adrienne Reid,” Tarbox said. “Now, I don’t know if she confides in somebody, if she said something to somebody, if somebody needs to come and tell us something. Perhaps. Good, sound evidence will help us find Genesis.”
Officials said there are currently no plans for further searches at the landfill because there is no additional evidence pointing to another specific area, but left open the possibility of future operations if new information emerges.
“We cannot afford emotionally, physically, financially to go on wild goose chases or search the whole landfill,” Moore said. “If we have more information, if we have more evidence, if something comes to light, absolutely contact the police department.”
Enterprise Mayor and other city leaders joined Moore and Tarbox in expressing gratitude to partner agencies, including the Coffey County Commission, the landfill staff, the county engineer’s office, and specialized teams such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Team Adam, as well as firefighters, EMTs and CERT volunteers.
“In the darkest moments, communities reveal who they truly are,” Moore said. “Over these past several months, I have witnessed the very best of Enterprise, Coffey County and the state of Alabama. You came together for a little girl you may have never met, and you never stopped hoping that we could bring her home.”
Officials stressed that, although the physical search has ended, their pursuit of accountability continues.
“Although we did not receive the answer we had all hoped for, our support for justice has not changed,” the mayor said. “We will continue to stand with law enforcement, with those seeking the truth, and everyone who has been impacted by this tragedy. Pray for justice for Genesis — a precious little girl who deserves to be remembered, loved and never forgotten.”
Tarbox said his office is reviewing and compiling extensive discovery materials to provide to Adrienne and her attorneys ahead of trial.
“The discovery is quite voluminous and has taken a significant amount of time for the police and our office to properly catalog and prepare,” he said. “I and our office remain committed to prosecuting this matter to the fullest extent of the law.”
Moore asked the community for patience, continued prayers and understanding for the investigators and volunteers who are still processing the emotional toll of the search.
“Those individuals out there — some of the biggest, burliest people in Alabama — were out there searching every day, coming to tears saying, ‘I just hope we find her,’” he said. “There’s still a lot of hurt people out there. We will continue to pursue justice. We will continue to seek the truth, and we will never forget this precious child.”
