Found Deceased AZ - Jerold Williams, 5, Jacob Lake, 6 Aug 2015

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Jules71 said:
Jacob Lake, Arizona –The body of missing 5 year old Jerold Joseph Williams was found on August 10, 2015 around 4:30 pm by a group of volunteer searchers from Colorado City. The group was driving along Forest Service Road 240 when some boys who were in the back of the pickup saw the body of Jerold on the ground around 15-20 feet off the road. Jerold’s body was found approximately 3.7 miles point-to-point from the place Jerold was last seen. However, by road it was approximately 8.6 miles from the place he was last seen. Because Jerold was found close to the road and the road would have been a natural walking area for him compared to the very thick brush, it is believed that Jerold probably found his way to Forest Road 240 and followed it to Forest Road 241 in the direction away from the camp site and may have walked off into the forest to lay down to rest. He was found fully clothed with no obvious external injuries, and there is was no evidence of foul play indicated at the scene. The weather had turned inclement early during the time he was missing. An autopsy was performed today and Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office preliminary findings appear to be accidental death due to environmental exposure. Based on the environmental conditions Jerold was exposed to it is unlikely he survived the first night.

BBM

-Official searchers there and he was found by volunteer searchers from his community

-which environmental conditions made it unlikely he survived the first night?

This doesn't seem right to me.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
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Poor little boy. Poor soul.
 
Jules71 said:
I found a blog that describes the views of death among the FLDS. I don't know it they all believe this or not.

Death Among the FLDS

These communities also bury their own dead (and at least one has its own crematorium), which opens the way to record-keeping anomalies with death certificates -- and ensures that no questions will ever be asked, and no autopsies will ever be performed. Given the genetic instability and volatile control issues within this group, it may not be wise for them to have the means to dispose of dead bodies without official oversight. We need to be asking questions about who's in their cemeteries and crematoria, how they got there, and what kinds of records are being kept.
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Very true, this is so important. Thank you Jules.
 
As far as speculated hearing loss.... I have 2 boys perfect hearing, 8 and 11. When they are distracted they are oblivious. Put them in a stressful situaation, the blood pumping through their ears might be deafening. Kids are not adults, they do not act or react as we would. RIP little man.
 
Lurknomore said:
As far as speculated hearing loss.... I have 2 boys perfect hearing, 8 and 11. When they are distracted they are oblivious. Put them in a stressful situaation, the blood pumping through their ears might be deafening. Kids are not adults, they do not act or react as we would. RIP little man.
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Kids will be kids that is true, and they most often reflect the actions of their elders, or those who have the most contact with them. That is not to say they are adults, rather they are malleable, and should be protected and guided to grow up to be adults in their own way. So, who were the adults in charge of this camping trip?
 
Now that additional information has come out, it is pretty easy to understand what happened to Jerold.

He was separated from his mother at the campsite along forest road 241. Somehow he managed to find his way back to forest road 241 and started walking east, AWAY from the campsite. He may have walked through the forested area for awhile before he found road 241 again.

While initially searching for him, his family may have been concentrating on the area between the campsite and the main road to it, which would be to the west of the campsite. As they were concentrating on the immediate area, Jerold was walking further away down road 241, or in that direction.

He walked and walked and walked and walked down road 241, about 6 miles all together. His fatal mistake was when he made a left turn onto forest road 240. This would have been a lightly traveled primitive road which is really only suitable for 4 X 4's and ATV's. He continued walking down this road until it dead ended.



The timeframe in which he did all of this is unknown. It's very obvious that he could have easily slipped out of the initial 2 mile search zone rather quickly. By the time LE arrived, he may have already been well beyond the 2 mile search radius. Keep in mind, LE and the parents had no idea which direction to look, so they were forced to look in ALL directions, 3 of which were wrong. As they continued to fan out around the campsite, Jerold continued to walk down the 241 road.


None of us know how long this journey took, or if he walked this road 241 in the dark, or how many times he stopped and circled back. He at least had the presence of mind to stay on or near the main road. That area is heavily forested and the terrain is rocky and a burden to hike around on. Staying on the main road would be much easier and safer.

Keep in mind, when I refer to the "main road", I'm talking about the forest road 241. This is an unmaintained road that is lightly traveled. These roads are not anything like the nice smooth gravel roads like you may find on the drive to grandma's house in the country. They have rocks jutting up, low spots, soft spots, huge mud puddles, uphill climbs and downhill drops.....and all that in a one mile stretch. Many times you have to literally crawl along in a full sized pickup, unless you don't care about tearing up the suspension on your vehicle. Many of these roads aren't much more than glorified game trails. I suspect that forest road 240 was an even rougher road than 241, simply because it would have rarely been traveled by anyone other than ATV enthusiast and hunters. This may well have been why Jerold ventured down it......he was following tracks.

He would have had NO access to water, there are no signs of civilization in that area, and it would have been pitch black dark at night time.

In my mind, the worst part about this is the fact that had he continued to walk down forest road 241, rather than taking 240, it would have dumped him out right there at the main highway to the Grand Canyon. Just another 2 miles on 241, and he would have heard and seen cars passing by on the paved highway. He was that close.

Below is a map I made up late yesterday showing where he was found and how he got there. The first 6 items on the menu are what I added. The other items below are things I was noting before he was found, such as the location of watering holes.

Recap: He walked along road 241, he took a left at road 240, and he was eventually found somewhere towards the end of road 240 where it dead ended. He was found approx. 4 miles in a straight line from the campsite, which equates to around 8 1/2 drivng/walking miles.

Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zAAmDUXJe_aE.kcsOUmM2GJ3A&usp=sharing
 
Tillicum said:
I've been too heartbroken to say anything before now but I'm wondering if little Jerold may have had some hearing loss that had been undetected. My youngest has slight hearing loss and for several years I thought he just wasn't paying attention. It could explain why he didn't respond the first four hours when he was close enough to hear them searching and probably calling for him.
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But he is 5 years old. It would have been detected as he was learning to speak. Yes?
 
I wonder how long in time it really was until it was observed that he was missing. As soon as he realized he was alone and lost, he would have cried and called for his guardian, like all baby animals do. That would not have been an hour later, but more like 10 minutes or less. And nobody heard him? Also, he must have been quite frail to have not survived even the first night. Perhaps he had disabilities that we have not been made aware of. Reportedly he went missing early in the afternoon. Did he eat lunch? This is so sad. JMO
 
steelman said:
Now that additional information has come out, it is pretty easy to understand what happened to Jerold.

He was separated from his mother at the campsite along forest road 241. Somehow he managed to find his way back to forest road 241 and started walking east, AWAY from the campsite. He may have walked through the forested area for awhile before he found road 241 again.

While initially searching for him, his family may have been concentrating on the area between the campsite and the main road to it, which would be to the west of the campsite. As they were concentrating on the immediate area, Jerold was walking further away down road 241, or in that direction.

He walked and walked and walked and walked down road 241, about 6 miles all together. His fatal mistake was when he made a left turn onto forest road 240. This would have been a lightly traveled primitive road which is really only suitable for 4 X 4's and ATV's. He continued walking down this road until it dead ended.



The timeframe in which he did all of this is unknown. It's very obvious that he could have easily slipped out of the initial 2 mile search zone rather quickly. By the time LE arrived, he may have already been well beyond the 2 mile search radius. Keep in mind, LE and the parents had no idea which direction to look, so they were forced to look in ALL directions, 3 of which were wrong. As they continued to fan out around the campsite, Jerold continued to walk down the 241 road.


None of us know how long this journey took, or if he walked this road 241 in the dark, or how many times he stopped and circled back. He at least had the presence of mind to stay on or near the main road. That area is heavily forested and the terrain is rocky and a burden to hike around on. Staying on the main road would be much easier and safer.

Keep in mind, when I refer to the "main road", I'm talking about the forest road 241. This is an unmaintained road that is lightly traveled. These roads are not anything like the nice smooth gravel roads like you may find on the drive to grandma's house in the country. They have rocks jutting up, low spots, soft spots, huge mud puddles, uphill climbs and downhill drops.....and all that in a one mile stretch. Many times you have to literally crawl along in a full sized pickup, unless you don't care about tearing up the suspension on your vehicle. Many of these roads aren't much more than glorified game trails. I suspect that forest road 240 was an even rougher road than 241, simply because it would have rarely been traveled by anyone other than ATV enthusiast and hunters. This may well have been why Jerold ventured down it......he was following tracks.

He would have had NO access to water, there are no signs of civilization in that area, and it would have been pitch black dark at night time.

In my mind, the worst part about this is the fact that had he continued to walk down forest road 241, rather than taking 240, it would have dumped him out right there at the main highway to the Grand Canyon. Just another 2 miles on 241, and he would have heard and seen cars passing by on the paved highway. He was that close.

Below is a map I made up late yesterday showing where he was found and how he got there. The first 6 items on the menu are what I added. The other items below are things I was noting before he was found, such as the location of watering holes.

Recap: He walked along road 241, he took a left at road 240, and he was eventually found somewhere towards the end of road 240 where it dead ended. He was found approx. 4 miles in a straight line from the campsite, which equates to around 8 1/2 drivng/walking miles.

Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zAAmDUXJe_aE.kcsOUmM2GJ3A&usp=sharing
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Thank you, Steelman.

Poor little guy :(. My heart is heavy for his family and for all of the searchers who simply didn't look in the right direction :(.
 
Reading all the threads in the missing forums there is one common factor to many of these cases.
They are usually found within 5 miles from where they went missing.
After an area is checked another group should go back over it. We see this happen again and again

But what I do not understand is why he didn't hear them calling for him and why they didn't hear Jerold.
 
That is an excellent idea re-checking the are with new eyes. But we had a case where a little girl went missing in Auckland, New Zealand. She was found eventually in a storm drain on the adjoining property to where she went missing. Her Father had checked the drain, the police and search and rescue all checked the drain seperately but she still was missed. The cover was off about 10cms so they thought she couldn't fit down there. It was a very sad case.
 
I was reading some reviews of the area on TripAdvisor. Here's the link:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...tional_Forest-Jacob_Lake_Arizona.html#REVIEWS

Notice how cold so many have said it gets at nigh, even in August. IIRC, didn't the report say hypothermia may have played a role in little Jerold's death? Yet others have also commented about the fact he had on such warm clothing for the high temperatures and he may have become overheated. Just wondering if we know what the actual temperatures (highs and lows) were during the time he went missing.
 
I have not been active in this thread, but I read part of it and feel so sad now for this sweet boy :( How tragic!

I'm surprised to see that it has been said that he did not survive the first night - I can only assume it must have been too cold? Or was he attacked by an animal at night?

It's so heartbreaking to know that he obviously tried to find a way to the camp, such an intelligent boy. How scared and devastated he must have felt, alone in the dark. It breaks my heart to think of his last hours.

And the poor mother .... how she will ever forgive herself? I'm so so sorry for all of them.

May the Lord hold them gently.
 
steelman said:
Now that additional information has come out, it is pretty easy to understand what happened to Jerold.

(snipped for space)
Recap: He walked along road 241, he took a left at road 240, and he was eventually found somewhere towards the end of road 240 where it dead ended. He was found approx. 4 miles in a straight line from the campsite, which equates to around 8 1/2 drivng/walking miles.

Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zAAmDUXJe_aE.kcsOUmM2GJ3A&usp=sharing
Click to expand...

Thanks for that Steelman. I agree with your assessment. In the DeOrr Kunz case, I believe it was somebody from NCMEC that said to look further than you would expect a missing child to be and to look uphill, which is kind of counter-intuitive.

It sounds like they did a textbook SAR search. It might be time to write a new textbook.
 
It's a terrible ending to what could have been a heroic rescue.

In regards to his time of death, I think they are basing that on what they found in his stomach contents.
For example, if he ate a bunch of food on Thursday at the picnic before he vanished and there was food found in his stomach that was largely undigested, then the logical assumption would be that he died before the digestive process had much time to work.

On the flip side, if he was found to have virtually no food at all in his stomach, then the logical conclusion would be that his body had digested and absorbed every bit of food he had previously eaten prior to disappearing. That would indicate that he would've had to be alive at least a couple of days in order for that process to complete itself.

I suppose that theory makes some degree of sense, since he would have been exerting a HUGE amount of energy in the time it took to get 8 1/2 miles from camp. If it was found that he still had a pretty good quantity of food in his stomach, then you have to assume that he perished not long after he had last eaten. Horses have been known to run themselves to death, I guess the same could apply to humans.
 
ClaireNC said:
Thanks for that Steelman. I agree with your assessment. In the DeOrr Kunz case, I believe it was somebody from NCMEC that said to look further than you would expect a missing child to be and to look uphill, which is kind of counter-intuitive.

It sounds like they did a textbook SAR search. It might be time to write a new textbook.
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I've thought for a long time their search and rescue techniques are seriously flawed.

1) Much like in this case, it took a huge amount of time to get "mobilized and setup". They even stated that they didn't really search much the first night, but waited until the next morning to really get it going.
I have headlights on my ATV, I can plug a spotlight into my ATV..........can they ? I have no idea why they wouldn't have sent a couple of rangers out on ATV's to run up and down every trail and every road they know about in the hours right after he went missing. It seems like common sense to me......but I don't run the SAR teams. I can only assume it has something to do with following "protocol".

2) There have been too many of these searches where a deceased person has been completely overlooked, although there are later claims that the area where they were eventually found had been searched 2, 3, maybe 4 times.......and yet they were completely missed. Why would that be ?
We've seen it over and over again in these searches.........it's almost comical, were it not such a serious situation.

3) Scent tracking dogs ?.....leave them at the kennel, or give them a pay raise. They're either totally useless, or their handlers are.


If anything at all was learned here, I hope the sheriff in Idaho realizes that Deorr Kuntz may have in fact traveled much further and much faster than anyone thought possible. He needs to be brought home too, just like Jerold. I've thought all along that he was still out there in the forest, they just either haven't looked far enough out or they simply missed him.
 
"We would go as far as our vehicles could get us, and then we would get out and hike hours on end, we would go to ravines, rocky ledges, anywhere a 5-year-old boy might hide... and it was a very emotional roller coaster because you thought maybe here, every now and then we'd find a crevice where a child might hide, you get that hope," said Niehans.

That hope vanished Monday afternoon when the 4 x 4 group was in the area when another volunteer search crew found Jerold's body, about 20 feet from a forest service road. He was found close to 8 miles from where his family was camping.

"It sounds like for the most part he literally walked himself to exhaustion the way he was found, it looks like he literally ran himself into the ground," said Niehans.

Although hundreds of people helped look for the boy, Niehans says the terrain was overwhelming making it extremely difficult to search.

"It was so vast, we were so close," said Niehans.

Search crews combed 21 square miles, spanning five days and four nights with over 1,000 people helping out.

http://www.fox10phoenix.com/story/2...fforts-to-try-and-find-missing-5-year-old-boy
 
I notice it was volunteer searchers that finally found him, not the "qualified and trained searchers" we continually hear about. You know, the ones that always immediately shut out the public when a search begins.
 
steelman said:
I notice it was volunteer searchers that finally found him, not the "qualified and trained searchers" we continually hear about. You know, the ones that always immediately shut out the public when a search begins.
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I hear what you're saying steelman and I admit I'm kind of torn on the efficiency of pro sar teams.

On the other hand sar finds many lost hikers and campers, just not all. To put it in perspective (for myself) I did a little mind experiment. We used to own 160 acres in the Tennessee mountains. The majority of the land had 60 year old second-growth trees. During the time we owned it we'd hiked most of the property and knew it well.

160 acres is about 0.25 square miles. If someone hid a doll dressed in neutral clothing in the middle of it I don't know how long it would take to find it but it made me uncomfortable just thinking about it. In Jerold's case 1000 searchers combed 21 square miles, which is about 13,440 acres. That's a lot of area to search. So while the search techniques may need to be tweaked I can't fault sar completely.

Plus, the mother waited four hours to report Jerold missing. I won't criticize her decision but that's a lot of lost time upfront. If anything maybe the thinking on the distance a little kid can move away from the spot last seen needs to be recalculated.

On top of it all, a child's thermoregulatory system is immature so kids don't handle temperature changes as well as adults. Poor Jerold got lost during the hottest part of the day, without water then got rained on just as the temperature started dropping for the night. All the cards were stacked against him.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/jacob-lake-az/86022/august-weather/2123857?monyr=8/1/2015
 
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