Grief hits Pearland after boy found dead
Police spot missing autistic 9-year-old floating in lake
This south Houston suburb struggled Saturday with the death of a young boy whose Thanksgiving-day disappearance had mobilized hundreds to search for him.
Nine-year-old Marcus McGhee was visiting his uncle, former NBA star Marcus Camby, when he wandered away from the family gathering Thursday afternoon. Police said as many as 1,000 volunteers and police officers hunted for Marcus, who had autism, Thursday and again Friday.
Police found his body around 7 a.m. Saturday floating in a lake on Camby’s property.
After the news broke, visitors began stopping at Camby’s iron-gated driveway to leave flowers, stuffed animals and balloons. Many paused, blocking traffic on Fite Road as they talked softly with neighbors, or stared past the gate at the tall, broad home beyond.
And about 1,000 — Pearland residents, mostly — gathered at a softball field across from Camby’s home for a prayer service and candlelight
vigil Saturday evening.
Jim Steele, 44, and his fiancee Cory Haner, 47, helped search both days. “It’s been real rough tonight,” Haner said. “I didn’t sleep much Thursday.”
Camby himself slipped into the crowd and stood at the back, a head taller than anyone else, the red hood of his sweatshirt pulled up. He declined to discuss his nephew’s death after the service. Other family members, however, described the boy as energetic and intelligent.
“He was a smart kid,” said cousin Trey Camby, 18. “He could do everything on his iPad.”
“He was fun,” said Kaylynn Armstrong, 21, the wife of another of Marcus’ cousins. “He was funny. He was very curious.”
Marcus was in town for the holiday from Connecticut with his family. His mother, Mia Camby, is Camby’s sister. Searching for the boy
The search for Marcus began around 4 p.m. on Thursday at Camby’s house, in the 6700 block of Fite. About 20 family members had gathered; Marcus was last seen playing with the other children.
Adults searched the house, a sprawling home with multiple stories and numerous wings, and couldn’t find Marcus. Police checked again, then called in for more officers and began scouring the property. Pearland residents quickly heard the news and contacted police to help.
Camby’s home is in a section of the burgeoning subdivision that’s still filling out. Old barns, ranch homes and new subdivisions coexist; other lots are still undeveloped, full of thick woods, open fields and livestock. Camby’s property takes up nearly a full block, stretching from Fite almost to West Broadway. It is surrounded by a thick stucco wall and has an L-shaped lake in the middle of the land.
Larry Castillo, 47, lives on Morenci, adjacent to Camby’s lot. He woke up Thursday night to see people combing through the woods, fields and drainage ditches around his house. “It’s the first I’ve ever seen anything like it around here,” Castillo said. “It went on all night.”
On Friday, the search area extended south to FM 1128 and Magnolia, east to the railroad tracks on Veterans Drive, north to Brookside and out to Cullen. So many volunteered police said they had to send some away. They searched all day. Police continued into the night.
Marcus was non-verbal and afraid of loud noises. Police told volunteers they had to be careful about how they approached him.
“It was just so surreal for it to happen in our community,” said Chris Bowie, 33, a special education teacher who lives a mile down the street.
Experts say that nearly half of autistic children attempt to wander off and that some are drawn to water.
“(Autistic) kids are sensory seekers and many of them absolutely love the water,” said Judith Ursitti, director of state government affairs for the advocacy group Autism Speaks. “Many of them have delayed development, so they have a hard time learning to swim. They don’t have a sense of danger.” Advance notice
Before a disaster, families should contact their local police department to let them know a child with autism is living in the neighborhood. The police can help come up with a plan if the child goes missing, she said.
Suzanne Potts, executive director of the Autism Society of Central Texas, said visits to unfamiliar homes during the holiday season can be problematic.
“Sometimes you’re in new situations or you’re visiting a home where they don’t have the same safety precautions,” she said, adding that families can also consider outfitting their child with a GPS tracking device.
But even the most diligent parents can lose track of their kids, Ursitti said. “It can happen in just a split second,” she said.
Brenda Johnson, 60, a longtime Pearland resident, helped hunt for Marcus on Thanksgiving evening.
On Saturday, she placed white flowers at the Camby gate and cried for the family she’d never met before that morning.
“I just can’t imagine, coming here out of town with your family and going back and having to be without one,” Johnson said.
Quinn Richardson drove from Kingwood on Saturday expecting to help search but broke down after learning the boy had been found dead. She quickly brought back a stuffed animal to lay in front of the gate. Marcus reminded her of her own nieces and nephews. She also has a family member with autism.
“It could’ve been any one of our kids,” Richardson said.
On Saturday evening, residents filled the infield at the Pearland Girls Softball Association fields on Fite and spilled out onto the grass.
Police chaplains gave a 20-minute service; visitors held lit candles in the air.
“Even in the midst of such tragedy, there is so much to be thankful for,” Pastor Keith Anderson, the Pearland Police De- partment’s senior chaplain, told the crowd. “For everyone who searched for Marcus, thanks. But I want you to understand, life now goes on.” ‘Too close to home’
Josie Carrillo, 38, from Pearland, brought her daughters to the vigil; one went to school with Camby’s daughter. They had helped search for Marcus. “It’s too close to home,” Carrillo said.
Tamara Garcia, 46, from southeast Houston, brought her daughters, too. One has autism.
During the service, mothers wrapped arms around daughters, wiping away tears. Fathers bounced babies, trying to keep them quiet. Teenagers stood stoically.
“I’m shocked at the turnout,” said organizer Rebecca Burnham, 34, from Pearland. Burnham said she didn’t know Marcus or Camby. She helped look for the boy, she said, because that’s what neighbors do.