A four-year-old Florida boy who disappeared while visiting family over New Year’s Eve has been found dead in Alabama.
Johnathan Everett Boley, known to family members as “John John,” was reported missing on New Year’s Eve after he wandered away from a rural property along Highway 195 near Jasper, Alabama, while playing outside with his dog, Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith said at a news conference.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers, volunteers, K-9 teams, drones and aircraft were deployed in the search, which covered several square kilometers of forested land.
Searchers found the child’s body on Jan. 2 about two miles from the home, officials said. The dog was found alive nearby. Authorities did not immediately release a cause of death, while an official autopsy is pending.
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“This is not the outcome everyone was hoping for,” Smith said. “Our hearts go out to this family and everyone who worked tirelessly to bring this child home.”
Authorities said the young boy and his siblings live with their mother in Florida and were visiting their father over the holidays under a custody arrangement.
The boy was last seen wearing a yellow Mickey Mouse shirt, black pants and Paw Patrol shoes before disappearing from the home.
Missing 4-year-old Johnathan Everett Boley was found dead about two miles from his father’s home; his dog was found alive nearby. (FOX 13-WTVT)
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During the news conference, investigators announced the arrest of the boy’s father, Jameson Kyle Boley, 40, which occurred during the search.
Officials said Boley was charged with unlawful manufacture of a destructive device after investigators discovered precursor materials on the property.
Jameson Boley, 40, is charged with unlawful manufacture of a destructive device and two counts of chemical endangerment of a child. (Blount County Jail)
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According to a criminal complaint filed in Walker County District Court, Boley is charged with possession of precursor substances with intent to unlawfully manufacture a destructive device or bacteriological weapon at the Highway 195 address on or about Dec. 31, 2025. The charge is a misdemeanor under Alabama law, court records show.
Police said the father’s charges are not related to the circumstances surrounding the child’s disappearance and death.
“At this time, there is no evidence to suggest foul play in the child’s death, and these charges should not be merged with the search for Johnathan,” Smith said.
Members of the Church of the Apostles and DaySpring Summer Camp in Parrish, Florida gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil for Johnathan Boley. (FOX 13-WTVT)
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In Parrish, Florida, community members gathered for a candlelight vigil for the young boy.
“For so many of us, our hearts are broken by this tragic loss,” said the Rev. Douglas Scharf, bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida. FOX 13.
Authorities asked the public to give the family privacy as they grieved and said additional information would be released as it became available.
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