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Autopsy Begins in Death of 4-Year-Old Johnathan Boley, No Trauma Found

The sheriff says charges against the boy’s father over explosives are unrelated to the child’s death.

Overview

  • Federal agents began the autopsy on Monday, and authorities say the official cause and manner of death remain pending.
  • Volunteer searchers found Johnathan Boley in a Walker County creek on Friday about two miles from his father’s home after a family dog led them to the site.
  • Sheriff Nick Smith said the examination showed no injuries consistent with assault or trauma, though investigators have not determined how long the child had been dead.
  • Explosive materials were found on the father’s property and some were safely discharged by authorities, while other items initially flagged by volunteers were later deemed non-explosive.
  • Johnathan’s father, Jameson Kyle Boley, was arrested on charges of unlawful manufacture of a destructive device and two counts of chemical endangerment of a child; he was moved to Blount County Jail for housing in the high-profile case.