Johnathan Boley autopsy inconclusive, initial findings show no sign of trauma or assault as authorities now await toxicology tests to reveal cause of death following father, Jameson Kyle Boley being arrested on meth and explosives charges.
An autopsy of the 4-year-old Alabama boy found dead two days after he wandered off from his father’s Jasper, Walker County home showed no signs of trauma or assault, authorities announced Monday.
Volunteer searchers found the body of Johnathan ‘John John’ Everett Boley shortly before 1 p.m. Friday. He was about two miles from his father’s home in nearby woods.
Un-attended young brothers playing in field leads to abrupt disappearance
Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith speaking to press, said the 4-year-old was partially in a creek when he was found. It is not yet clear how long the child had been dead. Sheriff Smith conceded investigators not knowing the cause of death while reaffirming that no no assault-type injuries were found.
Investigators were now awaiting the results of a full autopsy result and toxicology tests before giving an assessment into the cause of death of the 4-year-old.
Johnathan and his six year old brother, ‘Isaac’ were out playing on property grounds, on Wednesday, New Year’s Eve, when the elder sibling went to tell his father just on 11.30 a.m, that the younger boy had slipped under a fence along property perimeters and had wandered off with the family dog.
At the time of the the tragic discovery, the family dog, ‘Buck’ – a Labrador Retriever, was found alive near the missing boy. It is thought the dog had stayed by the lost boy until his final demise.
Upon the younger boy notifying their father, the parent then alerted authorities.
Missing Jasper, Walker County boy’s father arrested
Of disconcert, the children’s father, Jameson Kyle Boley, 40, had been the subject of a previous order of protection filing by the boys mother and who only had custody of the boys, five days out of the year.
Sheriff Smith said law enforcement received the call shortly before 12:30 p.m. and arrived at the home by 1 p.m.
As they cleared the house to make sure the missing 4-year-old wasn’t inside, they discovered explosives and had to back out for safety reasons.
‘The search of the house was suspended due to the explosives in the house,’ Smith previously told reporters.
‘The FBI is handling that aspect. Their bomb squad is making it safe and secure so we can continue the search of the house.’
Smith on Monday said the amount of explosives was ‘enough to level an entire house.’
Jameson Boley, was arrested on charges unrelated to the disappearance.
He was initially charged Thursday with unlawful manufacturing of a destructive device or bacteriological or biological weapon.
Smith said he doesn’t know what type of explosives were found, or what Boley, who was formerly in the military, was doing with them. ‘I think at one point he told an investigator he knew what he was handling was dangerous but he was just at a point where he didn’t care anymore,’ Smith said.
Boley is also charged with two counts of chemical endangerment of a child pertaining to their father’s drug use, specifically methamphetamine.
Was 4-year-old exposed to meth? Or simply a case of a parent unable or unwilling to step up to the plate
Charging documents stated both brothers ‘had the opportunity to be exposed to methamphetamine.‘ There had been concern that the younger boy’s death may be linked to possible toxic exposure to the illegal narcotic. Toxicology tests were still pending.
Boley remained held in the Blount County Jail.
Boley’s appointed attorney, Sam Bentley, said he has no comment at this time about the case.
Smith said the FBI and the State Bureau of Investigation led the on-scene investigation once John John’s body was found.
He said they worked throughout the weekend and, along with a Walker County investigator, attended Monday’s autopsy.
Smith said once the investigation is complete, they will present all findings to the Walker County District Attorney’s Office. It remained unclear if the children’s father would now face additional charges?
