Body of 4-Year-Old Found After Missing with Dog on New Year's Eve

A four-year-old boy from Alabama has been found dead after going missing with his dog on New Year’s Eve. The child, Johnathan Everett Boley, known as John John, was last seen on Wednesday at around 11:30 a.m. in Jasper, a small town located about 40 miles northwest of Birmingham. His body was discovered on Friday afternoon, approximately two miles from his home, following a two-day search. Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith confirmed the discovery during a press conference, stating that Johnathan’s dog, a black Labrador retriever named Buck, was found alive near his body. The local community has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic news.

“It’s with great sadness that I’m here to announce that we have located Johnathan, and Johnathan is deceased,” Smith said. He added that Johnathan was an adventurous child who loved the outdoors. However, Smith provided few details and refused to answer questions from the press.

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office first received a call regarding the child’s disappearance around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Smith. At a Thursday press conference, he explained that investigators were told Johnathan had been playing outside with his six-year-old brother and his dog before vanishing. The brother informed his father that Johnathan and the dog had gone beyond the fence line, Smith said.

When police arrived at the scene, they searched the house to ensure the child wasn’t hiding inside. They then used drones for aerial searches, along with helicopters, thermal detection equipment, and K-9 units to locate the boy. During the search, investigators discovered “evidence of explosive devices on the property” and “at least eight other potential explosive devices” across the street. However, it was later determined that these devices were not actually explosives. The house was cleared, and the FBI was involved in processing the property to contain any potential threats.

“The FBI has been processing the house, trying to get the explosive devices contained and out of the residence,” Smith said.

At the Thursday press conference, Smith mentioned that Johnathan’s father had been charged, but clarified that this was unrelated to the child’s disappearance. The charges were described as “something totally separate.” WVTM 13 reported that the father, Jameson Kyle Boley, was charged with two counts of chemical endangerment of a child and one count of unlawful manufacture of a destructive device or bacteriological weapon.

Neighbors told investigators that they had been hearing explosions for weeks, according to Smith. One neighbor reportedly heard an explosion around 4 a.m. the morning before the report was made. However, Smith could not confirm any connection between these explosions and the missing child.

Johnathan’s parents are separated, and his mother moved to Florida about a year ago. His father had “five days of custody a year,” Smith noted. “The family, including the dad, has helped, trying to do everything they can to help provide information,” Smith said on Friday.

The Independent has contacted the Walker County Sheriff’s Office for further details.