An extensive search for a five-year-old autistic boy, who had been missing from his home in Oregon for several days, ended tragically on Tuesday, November 12, when his body was found. The boy had disappeared from his residence while his mother was taking a nap.
The body of Joshua James McCoy was located more than a mile from his home in Hauser, Oregon, a community situated along Route 101. This discovery was made just days before Joshua would have celebrated his sixth birthday on November 18.
McCoy was reported missing to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office at 6:27 p.m. on Saturday, November 9. McCoy’s mother informed the authorities that she and her son had taken a nap in the afternoon and upon waking up around 5:30 p.m., she discovered that her son was not in the house.
First responders arrived at the scene around 6:45 p.m. They attempted to track McCoy’s cell phone signal, but this yielded no results. Deputies immediately started searching the property and sent out alerts to other agencies. Initial reports suggesting McCoy might have been picked up by a family member were investigated and dismissed.
The search operation expanded to include several agencies and resources. Search teams utilized drones, K-9 units, and ground search parties. A pond on the property was drained but yielded no significant findings.
“That distance was really far outside of the expected search parameter,” remarked Coos County Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio, referring to the location where McCoy was found. The extensive search operation included collaboration between Homeland Security, the FBI, Oregon State Police, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, local fire departments, and CORSAR, a specialized search and rescue team representing seven counties from Oregon and California.
According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, children with autism spectrum disorders are more likely to wander or “elope” from safe environments than their peers. These children may be attracted to potentially dangerous areas such as bodies of water, construction sites, highways, and train tracks.
Lois Munson, McCoy’s grandmother, expressed her gratitude to the community via social media.
A public candlelight vigil took place on Saturday at North Bay Elementary School.
Sergeant Christopher Gill of the Coos County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing. As of now, no information has been released regarding potential charges or the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
