In November 2024, a 5-year-old boy with autism disappeared from his home in Oregon. Joshua James McCoy’s body was found days later, prompting his father, Lawson Amos McCoy, to speak out and demand the truth about what happened. Now, police suspect foul play in the death of the autistic boy in Oregon.
Joshua allegedly disappeared on November 9 at some point after his mother, Angela German, put him down for a nap. After three days of searching, the 5-year-old’s body was found less than 2 miles away from his Coos County home. But evidence suggests that something doesn’t add up about how the boy ended up there.
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A search warrant revealed police now suspect foul play.
A search warrant affidavit recently filed in Coos County showed that investigators believe foul play was involved in Joshua’s death, KVAL reported. In fact, the affidavit noted there is probable cause to believe he was murdered.
Evidence suggests the autistic boy did not walk 2 miles barefoot before his death in Oregon.
Evidence on the 5-year-old body has cast doubt that he walked to the place where his naked body was found, KVAL reported. Allegedly, investigators found no marks on Joshua’s bare feet to indicate that he walked into the woods. The affidavit also noted that tire tracks were observed in the mud near his body, and that mud was allegedly found on German’s car tires, per KOBI 5.
As of writing, no arrests have been made.
It’s important to note that no one has been arrested or charged with a crime as of writing. However, the Department of Human Services in Oregon is investigating German’s treatment of Joshua, KOBI 5 reported. No suspect has been named in the case.
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German claims her son went missing while she took a four-hour nap.
German reported Joshua missing on November 9 after she woke up for an almost four-hour nap and couldn’t find him. For three days, a search and rescue ensued for the non-verbal boy, who had autism. Tragically, his body was found on November 12.
After Joshua's body was found, his father publicly demanded answers.
“I want the truth, plain and simple,” Lawson told OregonLive.com in an article published on November 14. “I don’t care about anything else. My baby’s gone.”
The boy’s father lives in Ohio and hadn’t seen Joshua in over a year, according to the outlet. However, the Air Force veteran who is now on disability told the outlet that he was previously a stay-at-home dad to his son.
“I nurtured him and bathed him and fed him. I mean, I knew his favorite foods, I knew his favorite colors,” Lawson said. He added, “I can’t believe this has happened.”
