A five-year-old boy with autism who disappeared from his Oregon home while his mother napped was found dead Tuesday afternoon, November 12, ending a multi-agency search effort that spanned several days.
Joshua James McCoy’s body was discovered approximately 1.6 miles from his residence in Hauser, Oregon, an unincorporated community along Route 101.
The discovery came just days before McCoy would have marked his sixth birthday on November 18.
According to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, McCoy was reported missing at 6:27 p.m. on Saturday, November 9. His mother told authorities that both she and her son had fallen asleep in the afternoon. When she awoke around 5:30 p.m., McCoy was no longer in the home.
First responders arrived at approximately 6:45 p.m. and attempted to locate McCoy’s cell phone signal, but the effort provided no useful information. Deputies immediately began searching the property and sent out alerts to other agencies. They also investigated and ruled out initial reports suggesting McCoy might have been picked up by a family member.
The search operation expanded to include multiple agencies and resources. Teams utilized drones, K-9 units, and ground search parties. A pond on the property was drained but revealed nothing of significance.
Coos County Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio noted that the location where McCoy was found exceeded typical search parameters. Fabrizio said. “That distance was really far outside of the expected search parameter.”
The extensive search effort involved collaboration between Homeland Security, the FBI, Oregon State Police, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, local fire departments, and CORSAR, a specialized search and rescue team representing seven counties from Oregon and California.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reports that children with autism spectrum disorders have a higher tendency to wander or “elope” from safe environments compared to their peers. These children may be drawn to potentially hazardous areas such as bodies of water, construction sites, highways, and train tracks.
McCoy’s grandmother, Lois Munson, expressed gratitude to the community through social media.
A public candlelight vigil is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. at North Bay Elementary School.
Sergeant Christopher Gill of the Coos County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the investigation remains active. No information has been released regarding potential charges or the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.