Authorities in Arizona say they have identified remains found by a city worker earlier this month as Jesse Wilson, a 10-year-old boy last seen in July 2016.
According to CBS News, detectives confirmed in a press conference Tuesday that their investigation into the death is ongoing.
It was unclear from available reports how the boy died.
“While this is not the outcome for which any of us had hoped, we want to stress that this is not the end of our investigation,” a police statement read.
Update of the remains found in Buckeye. In the early morning hours of July 18, 2016, 10-year-old Jesse Wilson…
Posted by Buckeye AZ Police Department on Tuesday, March 27, 2018
The remains were found on March 8 scattered across a field in an area of desert area outside of Phoenix despite the fact that the same area had already been scoured as part of previous searches.
From details available in the update provided this week, the delay in finding the remains appears to be related to the fact that Wilson’s body had been submerged in water for some period after his death.
“Like so many across this community, we are devastated by this news,” said Buckeye Police Detective Tamela Skaggs.
She described Wilson as a “bright, energetic young man,” adding that he was “well-liked by his friends and teachers.”
The boy disappeared from his home in the same community nearly two years earlier.
He had a history of walking away from his residence, according to KPHO.
Wilson’s mother has since lost custody of her other children and moved out of the state. Police have not confirmed whether she is considered a suspect.
“The Buckeye Police Department, along with our state and federal partners, will continue to pursue this investigation until its conclusion,” a police statement added. “We believe this case will be resolved as Jesse deserves nothing less.”
FBI agents were reportedly called in to assist local investigators in the search for the missing boy.
[Featured image: Jesse Wilson/Facebook-Find Jesse Wilson]
