The body of a northwestern Alabama boy who wandered off into a wooded area with his dog on New Year’s Eve has been found, and his father has been arrested in connection to explosives found inside the family’s home, according to officials and online reports.
The body of Johnathan Boley, 4, was found on Jan. 2 just two miles outside his home, Sheriff Nick Smith of the Walker County Sheriff’s Office announced at a press conference on Jan. 2. His dog, Buck, was found alive with the boy’s body.
“Like so many of you across our community, we’re devastated by this news,” Smith said. “Johnathan was an adventurous boy, and he loved the outdoors.”
According to Smith, both the sheriff’s office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were involved in the search, although the sheriff’s office is leading the investigation. Neither the FBI in Birmingham nor the Walker County Sheriff’s Office immediately responded to USA TODAY’s requests for comment on Jan. 2.
The boy was last seen around 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 31, in Jasper, about 43 miles northwest of Birmingham, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency shared online.
