Missing autistic boy in Oregon found dead four days before his 6th birthday: sheriff

A 5-year-old boy with autism in Oregon was found dead Tuesday afternoon after he disappeared from his home over the weekend, authorities said.

The body of Joshua McCoy, who was just four days away from his birthday, was discovered about 12:30 p.m. about 1.6 miles from his home in Hauser, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office said. says the tragic update.

Law enforcement said the boy and his mother took a nap together early Saturday afternoon, and when the father woke up around 5:30 p.m., little Joshua was gone, according to a missing child poster.

Deputies searched the area and even drained a pond on the family’s land, deploying drones and police dogs in the surrounding area in a desperate search for the boy.

Other local agencies, as well as state and federal partners, were invited to help.

“The area search was very thorough and methodical due to the circumstances of the disappearance,” the sheriff’s office said. “We’ve had amazing support from the community to feed all these volunteers.”

Judging by the missing child poster, Joshua would have turned 6 this Saturday.

It is not known whether the authorities are considering opening a criminal case in the case of the child’s disappearance.

But the sheriff’s office previously said nothing has been ruled out as the agency continues its investigation.

“The investigation is ongoing and no additional information will be released at this time,” the sheriff’s office said in a somber statement Tuesday.