A Florida boy who was found dead next to his dog in the woods days after vanishing from his father’s Alabama home on New Year’s Eve likely died of hypothermia, according to a preliminary autopsy report.
The initial report indicated that 4-year-old Johnathan Boley’s tragic death was consistent with hypothermia and that drowning was not suspected, Walker County Coroner Joey Vick told WVTM 13 on Thursday.
Vick noted the blonde-haired tyke — affectionally known by his family as “John John” — had taken off his shoes before his body was discovered on Jan. 2, partly in a body of water by a group of volunteers who were searching a wooded area in Jasper, about two miles from where he disappeared.
Officials said earlier this week that Boley did not show any signs of “trauma or assault type injuries,” WBRC reported.
The final autopsy report is expected to be released next week.
The child, who lived in Florida with his mom and was visiting his father for the holidays, was last seen playing in the yard with his older brother and their mixed lab pup Buck just before noon on New Year’s Eve.
The boy’s father, Jameson, reported the child missing an hour later when Boley failed to return home after walking across the property line with his loyal pooch.
After a two-day search that drew hundreds of volunteers and police, the youngster was found in the woods with Buck, who was alive and by his side.
While the boy’s death still remains a mystery, Jameson, 40, was arrested after cops found at least eight explosive devices inside and around his home. The shocking discovery forced officials to cancel a ground search in the area.
Methamphetamines were also discovered inside the home.
He was charged with unlawful manufacturing of a destructive device and two counts of chemical endangerment of a child.
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