Authorities evacuated neighbors. Officials closed schools in three nearby districts for the week.

With little movement, police have been reluctant to share much with the media.

Authorities called off a planned news conference late Wednesday night, saying there was nothing new to report. Early Thursday morning, Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson gave reporters a similar message, but said officers and volunteers trying to resolve the situation were holding up well.

It was more of the same Thursday evening: Another scheduled news conference was canceled, meaning just as little information for people to make sense of the horrifying situation.

At an earlier news conference Wednesday, Olson said he had "no reason to believe that the child has been harmed."

A reporter asked what the community could do to help.

"Pray," the sheriff said.

"Pray."