CARROLLTON, Ohio—Authorities say the body of a 14-year-old boy reported missing Sunday has been found in a shallow grave on a northeast Ohio farm.
Jonathon Minard went missing on April 13 while visiting a farm in New Harrisburg where he helped milk cows at a farm owned by the father of a 29-year-old friend.
The body of a 14-year-old boy reported missing Sunday was found buried in a shallow grave on a northeast Ohio farm. https://t.co/Z3tsTj6xuH
— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) April 20, 2019
The Carroll County sheriff, prosecutor, and coroner didn’t provide any details at a news conference Friday afternoon about how Jonathon Minard died, or whether there were suspects in his death. Investigators found his body Friday morning at a Washington Township farm, roughly 90 miles southeast of Cleveland.
Jonathon was last seen Saturday at a New Harrisburg farm where he helps milk cows at a farm owned by a friend’s father. Investigators were told Jonathon complained about a toothache and said he’d call his mother at the friend’s house to pick him up.
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“I’m not gonna comment on anything to jeopardize this investigation.” The Carroll County sheriff staying tight-lipped about the death of 14-year-old Jonathon Minard, whose body was found in a shallow grave on a farm. pic.twitter.com/mS3hv2MbiM
— matt demczyk (@mdemczyk) April 19, 2019
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Area residents said they were heartbroken at hearing the news of the body being found.
“We were hoping he ran away or something; that’s what we were hoping for but that wasn’t the case,” Carroll County resident Bill Burrier told Fox 8. “Just the nicest little kid, and he’d sit there and fish with me. I don’t see how anybody could do that to a 14-year-old.”
“It’s just devastating, a small boy like that, you know, heart-wrenching for his family, I’m sure for his parent and anybody that knew him,” added Carrollton resident Mary Johnson.
Shanta Teeters of Carroll County said that she’d always remember Jonathon as a fun-loving kid who was often out and about in her aunt’s neighborhood.
There’s a person of interest in the case of #missing 14-year-old #JonathonMinard from #CarrollCounty #Ohio. https://t.co/i5TX50Twff pic.twitter.com/dR1GrUaoAe
— Missing Pieces Network (@Network4Missing) April 18, 2019
“I can’t imagine what his mom is going through,” Teeters told WOIO. “He was always walking around Delroy, just out in the summertime and stuff. Just like an everyday kid would be.”
Teeters said her uncle was part of the search party that was looking for the boy. All the volunteers are upset about the body being discovered, she added.
“Everybody’s in shock, I think everybody is saddened, we feel for the family and we just want to see the person who did it pay for it,” added county resident Terry Cheuvron.
EMOTIONAL VIDEO: In an exclusive interview with @wkyc, the aunt of Jonathan Minard, the missing Carroll County 14-year-old, pleads for the safe return of her nephew who has not been seen since Saturday. pic.twitter.com/vglg1lLxft
— Jordan Miller (@J_MillerTV) April 16, 2019
Epoch Times Reporter Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.