UPDATE: Tragic End To Search For Missing Walker County Boy
UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE:
The hopes of hundreds of volunteers searching for a missing 4-year-old boy between the Manchester and Thach communities in Walker County were dashed today when a volunteer discovered the child's body. Sitting next to the lifeless body of Johnathan Everett Boley, also known as “John John", was the family Lab "Buck" which had also disappeared with the child New Year's Eve morning.
Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith made the difficult announcement in a press briefing. "It's with great sadness that I am here to announce we have located Johnathan and Johnathan is deceased.
"This is gonna be a very hard time for our community. It's gonna be a very hard time for the volunteer team that did an outstanding job to find Johnathan," said Smith. " This is not the outcome we wanted to see. We were hopeful for a positive outcome."
Smith stated the volunteer found the child's body in the woods some two miles from his father's home north of Jasper.
"Johnathan was an adventurous boy and he loved the outdoors," Smith added.
Authorities said the youth had last been seen on December 31 around 11:30 a.m. in the 7000 block of Highway 195 in Jasper. His brother had told them he last saw Johnathan and the family dog near the fence line next to nearby woods.
Hundreds of first responders and volunteers spent the last couple of days searching for the boy. The sheriff thanked them for their concern and willingness to come out over the New Year holiday in the cold to search. "It means more to me and I'm sure it means a tremendous amount to the family," an obviously dejected Smith said.
The youth's father, Jameson Kyle Boley, was arrested during the search on unrelated charges of illegally manufacturing a destructive device and two counts of chemical endangerment of a child due to the presence of illegal drugs.
John John’s parents are separated, and the boys have been living in Florida with their mother. They were back in Alabama visiting their father for the holidays. Their mother arrived in Walker County last night.
Cornerstone Assembly of God (7719 Highway 195) in Walker County will be hosting a vigil for John John tonight 2 at 7 p.m. Donations will also be collected for the family.
Federal, state, county and local law enforcement and VFDs participated in the search.
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