GUILTY MI - Charlie Bothuell, 12, Detroit, 16 June 2014

[Donjeta]

he had a cell phone in his hand at the end of the video clip -- where did that come from -- thought his was charging in the car

Well NG did say "we're going to give you a chance to call and find out" or something to that effect so maybe one of the staff gave him one

 

[katydid23]

This is a very confusing and convoluted case. I am thrilled that he was found safe. But I do hope that CPS sticks around awhile to sort this caper out.

 

[gitana1]

OFGS!

He's either the worst actor on the planet or I'm seeing things.

Holy hell. Dead eyes that shifted back and forth as he tried to pretend he was overwhelmed with relief.

This precious kid better be protected from that man.

Geez- Balloon Boy's dad was a better actor- and he was TERRIBLE

First thing I thought of when watching the vid- another Balloon Boy.

 

[gitana1]

Blood was found in pipes in the home.

Could be lots of things. I don't think anyone has been killed or hurt there because the child was found safe and no one else is missing.

 

[Donjeta]

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/det...-out-12-year-old-charlie-bothuell-found-alive

He was more angry that people weren't buying his act than relieved and happy that his son was okay

 

[SStarr33]

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/det...-out-12-year-old-charlie-bothuell-found-alive

He was more angry that people weren't buying his act than relieved and happy that his son was okay

Well, this video is more convincing than the other one until the very end when he went back into Fred Sanford mode.:floorlaugh:

 

[Disguiseduser0308]

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/det...-out-12-year-old-charlie-bothuell-found-alive

He was more angry that people weren't buying his act than relieved and happy that his son was okay

I still don't know what to think about this case. I could believe Charlie was hiding out from his family and they didn't know where he was, including the basement. Dad's reaction though... it's just off.

If he doesn't appreciate the reactions he could just stop talking to media. Instead he feels the need to prove himself.

 

[piaji]

he had a cell phone in his hand at the end of the video clip -- where did that come from -- thought his was charging in the car

Towards the end of the video, he was mouthing something to someone off camera. I'm assuming that person gave him the cell phone to use.

I don't think his reaction was bad acting. Some of you are saying you'd jump out of your chair and immediately go home or something similar, but how many of you can truly imagine how it feels to be a parent who's heard from news outlets and LE that the investigation into your son's disappearance is being treated as a homicide/homicide hasn't been ruled out, only to discover that he was actually alive and found hiding in the basement? He was probably in total shock and wasn't thinking properly. If you've ever been given huge and completely unexpected news (or even if you've gone through a breakup or something relatively "minor"), think of how you reacted at first. Were you at a loss for words? It's a fairly common reaction. As for the cell phone, this is probably the most stressful time in his life. I'm constantly forgetting to do things when I'm of sound mind. I'm sure the cell phone was just an oversight as he had more important things to worry about.

IMO, the son ran off, heard that the cops were called, and didn't want to get in trouble. He hid in various places and eventually made his way back to the basement. He built the barricade himself thinking if anyone came down there they wouldn't see him so he could continue hiding out until the investigation slowed down. He's a 12 year old! They're always more concerned about getting into trouble/being punished rather than doing the right thing.

 

[Cinnamon]

My husband was watching Nancy Grace tonight....I walk into the room right when Nancy is telling the father his son was found in his basement!!!

Dad looked like he was acting IMO

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BBM. I thought so, too.

I thought the father's reaction was, um, odd, to say the least. The whole convo about his cell phone dying and being in the car...IDK, just sounded off to me. My hinky meter immediately went off. Glad to know I'm not the only one who thought the father was acting.

I'm happy the boy was found safe!

 

[SuziQ]

didn't le stated that Charlie did not barricade himself in I'm on a cell phone right now and can't get to the article to repost it sorry

 

[piaji]

didn't le stated that Charlie did not barricade himself in I'm on a cell phone right now and can't get to the article to repost it sorry

"Craig said the 12-year-old was found by investigators barricaded behind boxes. Craig added that, in his opinion, it would have been unlikely for Charlie to have built the barricade with a five-gallon drum himself."

from http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...huell-has-been-missing-since-june-16/26657470

It wasn't a direct quote though, so I'm curious how exactly that was stated. I'm thinking what he meant was that it was a very tall stack of boxes, tall enough that even if Charlie were to stand on a five-gallon bucket, he wouldn't have been able to get them up there. We don't know how the boxes were arranged, but it's possible that they were stacked like that previously and that he just moved some of them around. I also noticed that the newscasters were implying that someone put him there, but I feel at this point that they're just speculating on air to even further sensationalize the story. We all know how MSM outlets can be with stories like this

 

[oh_gal]

My husband was watching Nancy Grace tonight....I walk into the room right when Nancy is telling the father his son was found in his basement!!!

Dad looked like he was acting IMO


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They replayed part of that on the Today Show this morning....he sure seemed caught off guard, and at a loss for words!
He looks like a young Obama - very engaging smile! (the son, not the dad!)

 

[Donjeta]

I don't think his reaction was bad acting. Some of you are saying you'd jump out of your chair and immediately go home or something similar, but how many of you can truly imagine how it feels to be a parent who's heard from news outlets and LE that the investigation into your son's disappearance is being treated as a homicide/homicide hasn't been ruled out, only to discover that he was actually alive and found hiding in the basement? He was probably in total shock and wasn't thinking properly.

NG told him at first only that his son had been found and nothing about his condition and he didn't ask if Charlie was found okay or hurt or alive or dead.

 

[Cinnamon]

That video was HI Larious. He reminds me of Fred Sanford having the big one.

:giggle:

 

[piaji]

NG told him at first only that his son had been found and nothing about his condition and he didn't ask if Charlie was found okay or hurt or alive or dead.

He didn't say anything at all. When is NG pushing him for a response after his initial stunned silence she says, "we are getting reports that your son was found alive in your basement." It was the second thing she said to him about it. The way I see it, he didn't have much of a chance to process the information and then ask if he was okay.

 

[modesty blaise]

that NG clip is crazy! LOL..
i will say if this is a hoax these people should be charged and made to reimburse the broke city of detroit.

 

[Donjeta]

He didn't say anything at all. When is NG pushing him for a response after his initial stunned silence she says, "we are getting reports that your son was found alive in your basement." It was the second thing she said to him about it. The way I see it, he didn't have much of a chance to process the information and then ask if he was okay.

He knew. JMO.

GRACE: Out to the father of the missing 12-year-old boy. Charlie. With me is his father, Charlie Bothuell. Charlie, we`re getting reports

that your son has been found in your basement. Sir? Are you --

CHARLIE BOTHUELL IV, FATHER: What?

GRACE: Yes. We`re getting reports that your son has been found alive in your basement.

BOTHUELL: What?

GRACE: Yes. If you can hand me that wire very quickly. Yes, we`re getting that right now. How could your son be alive in your basement?

BOTHUELL: Oh (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I have no idea.

GRACE: This is just a report we`re hearing out of Detroit that we`re trying to confirm.

BOTHUELL: Oh God, please.

GRACE: Everybody in New York, please get on it. Let me know when we get Charlie Langton from WWJ. Sir, did you check your basement?

BOTHUELL: I checked my basement, the FBI checked my basement, the Detroit police checked my basement. My wife checked my basement. I`ve

been down there several times. We`ve all been checking. I --

GRACE: This is what we`re hearing, the missing 12-year-old boy has been found alive and well in his father`s basement. Now, this is what I

don`t understand why you guys would have reported he`s missing, and all of our viewers have been on the lookout for him.

BOTHUELL: We`ve been on the lookout for him. We searched that entire house repeatedly, the FBI searched, the Detroit police searched. We all

searched. God, they brought dogs. Everything. Everybody has searched. What -- oh God, my son.

GRACE: Have you checked your cell phone?

BOTHUELL: My cell phone is dead. And I actually, getting down here, I left it in the car charging because it had -- it had died on me. Oh God.

GRACE: And you`re telling us that you searched your basement and your wife searched your basement?

BOTHUELL: I searched my basement, my wife searched my basement, the FBI searched my basement, the Detroit police searched my basement. We`ve

all searched my basement multiple times. I mean we -- yes. They had the dogs search. We`ve all searched the basement. The dogs searched my

basement. Oh God.

GRACE: Okay. You know what? I`m going to give you a chance to call home and see what you can find out. Charlie Langton, WWJ News, we`re

getting reports tonight that the boy has been found alive in daddy`s basement.

LANGTON: Yes, Nancy, we`re just getting word right now, and we`ve just basically confirmed that the boy has been found alive in the father`s

basement. And we`re just getting reports right now that that is true. Literally it just broke moments ago. Now why the boy -- why the father

didn`t know about that for the last 11 days, what -- if the child was afraid, if there was any other collusion amongst anyone, what the child

ate, all of those are questions that we are trying to get reports on right now. We understand that we`re sending news crews right now to the scene.

We also understand that the police chief is going to make another announcement that should be coming up a little later on. But yes, the boy

has been found alive in his father`s basement.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1406/25/ng.01.html

All he's focused on the basement had been searched multiple times so it was not their fault he wasn't found earlier and not a word to inquire if Nancy heard anything else, if the boy said anything about why he was there, if he was hurt, if he had been taken care of etc.

This on top of the strangeness about how the story about the initial circumstances of his disappearance changed.

 

[CarolinaMoon]

I watched the first NG coverage with the father and immediately thought, "Balloon Boy" as others have said here today and last night.

I also saw NG last night and noticed dad's reaction. Yes, pure Fred Sanford. He was absolutely blind-sided. I heard him mutter, "Oh s***," almost under his breath. That's a big one for me. Considering that it came after learning his son was alive, why such a reaction?

Kudos to NG for giving the father a lot of reaction time before saying he was alive.

She was just on HLN by phone and mentioned the possibility there are passages between buildings in the basements of the units. If true, I don't know if I'd want to live there. But, it is possible the boy was placed there or put himself there via one of these passages.

I'm withholding judgment on this whole situation for the time being. The boy needs to tell the truth and nothing but to LE.

 

[piaji]

Donjeta, Think about a time you've lost your keys and they've shown up somewhere you could have sword you looked. Don't you feel completely dumbfounded when you know you already checked that area? Now think about how you'd react if you found a missing person alive where you knew you'd looked before. IMO like I've said before he's totally shocked and doesn't know how to digest the information. Do you see where I'm coming from/why I don't think his reaction is fake?

OT - CarolinaMoon, are those your cats in your avatar? They're sooooo adorable!!! I have an orange cat and a black cat too :heart:

 

[Disguiseduser0308]

Towards the end of the video, he was mouthing something to someone off camera. I'm assuming that person gave him the cell phone to use.

I don't think his reaction was bad acting. Some of you are saying you'd jump out of your chair and immediately go home or something similar, but how many of you can truly imagine how it feels to be a parent who's heard from news outlets and LE that the investigation into your son's disappearance is being treated as a homicide/homicide hasn't been ruled out, only to discover that he was actually alive and found hiding in the basement? He was probably in total shock and wasn't thinking properly. If you've ever been given huge and completely unexpected news (or even if you've gone through a breakup or something relatively "minor"), think of how you reacted at first. Were you at a loss for words? It's a fairly common reaction. As for the cell phone, this is probably the most stressful time in his life. I'm constantly forgetting to do things when I'm of sound mind. I'm sure the cell phone was just an oversight as he had more important things to worry about.

IMO, the son ran off, heard that the cops were called, and didn't want to get in trouble. He hid in various places and eventually made his way back to the basement. He built the barricade himself thinking if anyone came down there they wouldn't see him so he could continue hiding out until the investigation slowed down. He's a 12 year old! They're always more concerned about getting into trouble/being punished rather than doing the right thing.

These are excellent points and I did consider them while forming my original opinion. Grief & shock are usually palatable to others when viewing a persons reaction. It seems many are skeptical of dads reaction on NG. I didn't see/feel shock coming from this father. It felt... fake.

Perhaps he's not an emotional person (some aren't and that's okay). Perhaps he was being pragmatic. I could think of a million reasons why dad didn't react the way I thought he would/should. Something in his demeanor piqued my instincts. World renowned security expert, Gavin DeBecker, has said one of the greatest gifts we have as humans is instinct. The other great gift we can give ourselves is to listen to that instinct. Always.

If I'm wrong, I have no qualms about admitting it. Something just isn't quite right with this.