Preliminary autopsy suggests hypothermia in death of Alabama boy: reports
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Authorities have reportedly identified a possible cause of death for a 4-year-old Alabama boy who was found dead just days after he was reported missing on New Year’s Eve.
Walker County Coroner Joey Vick said this week that a preliminary autopsy report showed Johnathan Boley’s death was consistent with hypothermia. Fox affiliate WBRC And NBC affiliate WVTM.
According to WTVM, investigators stated that the child took off his shoes and there was no suspicion of drowning.
The final autopsy report has not been released yet.
A MISSING 4-YEAR-OLD CHILD IN FLORIDA WAS FOUND DEAD AFTER A 3-DAY INTENSIVE SEARCH IN THE ALABAMA FORESTS
Walker County Coroner Joey Vick said this week that a preliminary autopsy report showed Johnathan Boley’s death was consistent with hypothermia. (FOX 13-WTVT)
Boley’s funeral is scheduled for Jan. 10, according to WBRC.
Hypothermia is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is exposed to freezing temperatures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Johnathan Everett Boley was reported missing Dec. 30 while playing outside with his dog as he drove away from a rural property off Highway 195 near Jasper, Alabama, Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith said at a news conference.
After several days of search involving hundreds of law enforcement officers, volunteers, K-9 teams, drones and airplanes, searchers found the boy’s body on Jan. 2 about two miles from the home, authorities said.
The dog was found alive nearby.
The father, whose 4-year-old son was found dead after his disappearance on the New Year, was arrested on drug and weapons charges.
Johnathan Boley’s body was found on January 2, 2025, in a wooded area near his father’s home in Alabama. The dog was found alive nearby. (FOX 13-WTVT)
“This is not the outcome anyone was hoping for,” Smith said at the time. “Our hearts go out to this family and everyone who worked tirelessly to bring this child home.”
Authorities said Johnathan Boley and his siblings lived in Florida with their mother and were visiting their father for vacation as part of a custody agreement.
Boley’s father, Jameson Kyle Boley, 40, of Jasper, Alabama, is charged with chemical endangerment of a child and unlawfully manufacturing a destructive device, according to Walker County District Court records obtained by Fox News Digital.
Law enforcement officials said the destructive device charge was not related to her son’s death.
WATCH: MISSING FLORIDA CHILD RESCUED AFTER VIOLENT TRAFFIC STOPS AND HIGH-SPEED CHASE
Jameson Boley, 40, is charged with unlawfully manufacturing a destructive device and two counts of endangering a child by chemical means. (Blount County Jail)
Smith said at a press conference: “There is currently no evidence to suggest he played a nefarious role in the child’s death, and these accusations should not be confused with the search for Johnathan.”
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The Walker County Coroner’s office and the Walker County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
