Police: Missing 8-year-old found dead
An 8-year-old boy reported missing in Bullhead City on Saturday was found dead in the Colorado River on Sunday, officials said.
Jeremy Duncan was first reported missing Saturday morning after disappearing near the area of Riviera and Marina boulevards at about 8 a.m.
Bullhead City police, Mohave County Sheriff ’s Office officials and an estimated 1,000 volunteers searched the surrounding area for the child Saturday, with aerial and ground searches continuing through the night.
Police and volunteers met at 7 a.m. Sunday to continue their search, officials said, only to learn that a kayaker had found a child’s body near the Palo Verde Marina in the Colorado River.
Police later identified the body as Jeremy Duncan.
“Hope was replaced this morning by shock and sadness over the discovery of Jeremy’s lifeless body,” Mohave County Sheriff Doug Schuster said.
Bullhead City Police Chief Brian Williamson declined to speculate on whether the death, which remains under investigation, was accidental. A police press release described it as a drowning.
The body was turned over to the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office, which will determine a cause of death.
Officials did not issue an Amber Alert for the missing boy. Police did not immediately respond to requests for further details regarding that decision.
A candlelit vigil to honor the boy’s life and show support for his family was held Sunday evening at Rotary Park in Bullhead City. A GoFundMe page for the boy’s family was also launched Sunday.