Missing 4-year-old found dead after 2-day search in Walker County

WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - A two-day long search for a 4-year-old boy last seen on New Year’s Eve in Walker County has ended after he was found dead on Friday, Jan. 2.

Johnathan Everett Boley, also known as “John John”, was last seen around 11:30 a.m. in the 7000 block of Highway 195 in north Walker County between the Manchester and Thach communities.

John John was believed to have been accompanied by a black Labrador named Buck, which was later confirmed to be true.

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) received the call for a missing child at around 12:28 p.m. Wednesday.

“The indications were that (Johnathan) and his brother were outside playing around the fence line, with a dog,” Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith said. “The brother said that the dog and his brother went across the fence line.”

Search crews utilized a thermal imaging drone in the hours following John John’s disappearance, but Smith said Thursday that no heat signatures were detected.

Dive teams searched nearby ponds Thursday as WCSO deputies suspended the ground search near the father’s home after finding explosive materials in the house.

John John’s father, Jameson Kyle Boley, has since been charged with unlawful manufacturing of a destructive device and two counts of chemical endangerment of a child.

Smith said the charges are not related to his son’s disappearance.

“The father has been charged. It has nothing to in connection with the missing child, it’s something totally separate, but is still a factor that is hindering our search,” Smith said Wednesday, Dec. 31. “We have a search warrant for the property that they are having to take care of some explosive devices before we can get inside the residence and do a thorough search. There has been evidence of explosive devices on the property.”

“We have suspended the search for civilians. We’ve asked them to refrain from searching at this time. We have identified at least eight other explosive devices. We do not believe they are charged, but I cannot say that to be sure until they are examined by the FBI bomb explosives team,” said Smith.

Smith says neighbors have been hearing explosions “for weeks now.”

“The father is prior military. Neighbors have been saying they have been hearing explosions for weeks now, they didn’t really know where it was coming from,” said Smith. “The morning before the report came in, one of the neighbors reported they heard a explosion around 4 a.m. Can’t say that’s any kind of connection to the missing child.”

Authorities say that John John’s parents are separated and that he and his mother moved to Florida about a year ago. John John was visiting for the holidays.

In a news conference Thursday, Smith said the mother had arrived from Florida and has been working with authorities.

“The mother did make it in last night from Florida. We have spoken to her and she has cooperated with us to the best of her abilities,” Smith said.

The FBI, State Bureau of Investigation, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Sumiton Police Department, Jasper Police and Adamsville Police all assisted in the search.

Around noon on Friday, Jan. 2, Smith held a news conference to share updates.

Around 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 2, Smith held another news conference to announce that John John’s body had been found.

“We’ve had an extensive search,” said Smith referring to the search that began when John John was last seen. “Investigators, and volunteers have… man, you guys have been awesome searching for Johnathan the last two days.”

Smith thanked the hundreds of volunteers who gave their time to help search for John John and Buck. Family members confirmed to WBRC the search was not easy. The tough to navigate terrain and cold, rainy weather leaving searchers covered in mud.

Smith said the dog, Buck, was found still with John John’s body. Buck is still alive. Smith says John John was found about two miles from the home in the 7000 block of Highway 195.

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society has received many questions and comments about if Buck is in their custody. They shared a statement on Saturday morning, Jan. 3, saying, “to be clear, Buck, Johnathan Boley’s pet dog, is not in the custody of Walker County Animal Services and is not at any GBHS shelter or facility. Our hearts are with the Boley family and the Walker County community during this devastating time.”

“Like so many of you across our community… we’re devastated. We’re just devastated by this news,” said Smith at the press conference Friday afternoon. “Johnathan was an adventurous boy and he loved the outdoors.”

Smith ended the conference asking for respect for the family, saying it’s going to be a very hard time for them. He also said no other information will be released at this time as the sheriff’s office has more work to do on the case. However, an update will be shared later.

Cornerstone Assembly of God church served as a hub for first responders and volunteers throughout the search for John John. They even worked to try and help the boy’s family with housing and food.

The church had already planned to host a vigil for John John and will continue to as the community processes the tragic loss. The church confirmed that several churches will come together to pray at their building, which is located at 7719 Highway 95 in Walker County.

“There’s a lot of emotions in this. There’s a lot of challenges that come with ‘why did this happen?’ ‘How did this happen?’ ‘Where’s God in all of this?,’” said Parker Darnell, the senior pastor for Cornerstone Assembly of God. “What we want to do is reaffirm who God is.”

Donations will also be collected for the family at the event.

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