It has been days since a young child was found dead in the woods in Southern Indiana on Saturday, April 16, and Indiana State Police are still unable to identify who the boy is.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Carey Huls talked to reporters on Monday, April 18, in the second press conference since the boy's body was discovered in Washington County, around 70 miles south of the city of Indianapolis and 25 miles northwest of Louisville.
Huls said that their No. 1 goal is to find out the identity and name of this child as that is what he deserves. He added that there is a chance that the boy, who is believed to be between 5 and 8 years old, could have come from another state, according to a report by USA Today.
Young boy's death could be a national thing
Huls said that he thought at first that this would be a local case but since nothing has happened and they have not had any matches for the boy, his death obviously could be a national thing. The child's description has not matched the description of any children that have been reported missing in the state of Indiana.
#UPDATE: Indiana State Police just gave an update - they now say the body of the boy found in the woods in Washington County was in a suitcase (below). @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/TI2AEez5EU
— Joel Schipper (@JSchipperWDRB) April 19, 2022
An area resident reportedly discovered the body of a Black male child near a roadway in a heavily wooded area of eastern Washington County around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Washington County Sheriff's detectives and deputies from the branch in Sellersburg later arrived in the area where the body was found to investigate, according to CNN.
Officials said that the dead child is believed to be between the ages of 5 and 8 years old, with estimates placing him closer to 5 years old. According to the police, the young boy is approximately 4 feet tall, and he has a slim build with a short haircut. Investigators believe that the boy's death occurred sometime within the past week.
Child's body placed inside a closed hard-shell suitcase
Indiana State Police revealed on Tuesday that the child's body was inside a closed hard-shell suitcase when it was discovered this past weekend. The suitcase had a painting of the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign.
Details regarding the boy's clothing were withheld by authorities, with Huls explaining that was a decision made by investigators in charge of the case. The child's autopsy will be performed on Tuesday, though final results will not be available for a few more days.
Huls also noted in his press conference that the boy was in someone's custody and care for his daily needs and that it was clear that somebody was taking care of him. Huls admitted that numerous tips had come in since the boy was discovered, including several about a missing child from Hampton, Virginia, named Codi Bigsby.
Huls said they don't believe that will be a match, though, with investigators already looking into that angle. Local 12 reported that a national tip line dedicated to the young boy's murder case has already been established. Anyone who has information regarding the child's death is asked to call 1-888-437-6432.
