Found Deceased NC - Raul Johnson, 4, Laurinburg, 24 January 2018

[Ursamajr]

What do you call it... my hinky meter is still pinging. I just cant see a 4 year old walking into a pond. Though it may not have been freezing, I don't think the water would be a comfortable enough temperature to want to wade in.

Shine bright Raul.

 

[borndem]

Another too-young angel got his wings. Sweet beautiful little boy -- he looked like a very "huggable" little guy. The joy he brought to this world is now swept up into memories.
And he is at peace.

 

[LietKynes]

Seeing that sheriff's tears on the DM link made me cry.

Rest gently, sweet little Raul.

Some vibes of Genise Wright (sp?). I also wondered if he waded in or was thrown ?
:moo:

 

[Steelslady]

I'm surprised that we haven't heard anything about Raul's death being accidental by now. The coroner can tell in a short period of time whether or not he drowned or was put in the pond after death.

 

[MsFacetious]

What do you call it... my hinky meter is still pinging. I just cant see a 4 year old walking into a pond. Though it may not have been freezing, I don't think the water would be a comfortable enough temperature to want to wade in.

Shine bright Raul.

We've seen it with younger kids.... 1 and 2 year old a few times.
We've seen it with autistic kids of all ages.
I'm not recalling a neuro typical child 4 years or older who was found drowned in a pond after wandering off.
However, we don't really know Raul's developmental level I guess. So anything is possible.

 

[borndem]

So impressed with the LE response to this case. They really care about their community.

Sent from my SCH-I435L using Tapatalk

Same here -- in that small area, probably everyone knew just about everyone, at least a little bit. And the sheriff had been in tears before this on this case. So tough and so tender -- very touching. Made me cry, too. SMH. I'm sure he felt like we were/are here -- hoping for the best outcome, but "knowing" probably how it would actually end. He has seen a lot of meanness and hurt in his job (not necessarily saying meanness was involved here). All I can do is SMH.

 

[Gardener1850]

Sheriff: Death of NC child who left home likely accidental

LAURINBURG, N.C. (AP) -- The death of a 4-year-old North Carolina body whose body likely is the one found Saturday in a drained pond probably was accidental, an emotional sheriff said at a news conference.

People searched for Raul Gonzalez Johnson and prayed for his recovery, Scotland County Sheriff Ralph Kersey said. "But this is the outcome everyone feared," he said, his voice cracking as he struggled to speak. "It is heartbreaking."

The 3-foot-tall Raul, wearing a tiger-striped T-shirt and rocket ship pajama pants, left his home Wednesday while his grandfather was babysitting, authorities have said. Raul went to the home of a neighbor, who told him to go back to his home, they said.

A medical examiner must confirm the identity and cause of death. But Kersey and another investigator said they had met Raul late last year when he came to the sheriff's office with his parents so they knew what he looked like.
"Right now, it is an accidental death," the sheriff said.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...COL-?SITE=VADAR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

 

[ClaireNC]

Oh so sad. Fly high little Raul. Fly high sweet boy. Rest In Peace little one.

I don't believe he walked into the pond. It was too cold that morning. The water would not have been inviting.

 

[wantjustice]

Heartbreaking!

 

[Rott Mom]

Another child taken too soon - What a beautiful boy. May you find love and peace, Raul.
My heart breaks.

 

[borndem]

What a tough world this little boy was born into, yet he could smile like that and was still trying to enjoy his life by going out and playing and making friends with his neighbours. At 4 years old already a remarkable child. Completely heartbreaking, I hope the lives of his siblings take a huge turn for the better and they get all the support and care they deserve.

Yes, same here. When I was reading the info about the abuse charges, etc., against Raul's father, I kept thinking about the 6-year-old girl -- that still bothers & worries me. I hope she is safe now that Carlos Gonzalez is in the county detention center. Life can be so tuff and undeservedly unfair for some people.

 

[Steelslady]

What do you call it... my hinky meter is still pinging. I just cant see a 4 year old walking into a pond. Though it may not have been freezing, I don't think the water would be a comfortable enough temperature to want to wade in.

Shine bright Raul.

Well, two things- we don't know yet if the pond was shallow enough for anyone to wade in, or was it very deep, even in the outer area of the pond? I live on a lake- we have a beach area that gradually you can walk in, however, neighbors further down- you step one foot in the lake in their yard, and you are almost over your head- and I am talking about an adult stepping in, not a child! We don't know if Raul could swim or not- he may have panicked if he fell in,

Also, around that area, there is probably a lot of wild life. Could he have been running from an animal or a large bird and just fell in?

We need more details about the pond- was there an area to walk in, or was it deep on the edges already, making it impossible to walk out of.

so far, the sheriff thinks it was accidental, so for the time being, until the coroner determines if it was accidental or not, we wait holding our breathes, hoping that no one harmed him intentionally, all the while upset that this poor darling died in the first place.

 

[Steelslady]

Another thing that irks me- why the heck would you let kids wander outside alone when there are ponds nearby? Common sense, for pete's sake!

 

[lisette]

Wonder when he was in that barn where the dog detected the scent? Wasn't it a good distance away?

 

[PetDetective]

Well, two things- we don't know yet if the pond was shallow enough for anyone to wade in, or was it very deep, even in the outer area of the pond? I live on a lake- we have a beach area that gradually you can walk in, however, neighbors further down- you step one foot in the lake in their yard, and you are almost over your head- and I am talking about an adult stepping in, not a child! We don't know if Raul could swim or not- he may have panicked if he fell in,

Also, around that area, there is probably a lot of wild life. Could he have been running from an animal or a large bird and just fell in?

We need more details about the pond- was there an area to walk in, or was it deep on the edges already, making it impossible to walk out of.

so far, the sheriff thinks it was accidental, so for the time being, until the coroner determines if it was accidental or not, we wait holding our breathes, hoping that no one harmed him intentionally, all the while upset that this poor darling died in the first place.

One thing I noticed in the footage of the drained pond was a bridge that appeared to go over it. I wonder if he could have fallen off the bridge.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PetDetective]

I’m thoroughly confused now. I find some reports that search dogs tracked him to a barn, but I find more reports that they tracked him to the pond.

Does anyone have a link to the authorities stating anything about the search dogs?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PetDetective]

Wonder when he was in that barn where the dog detected the scent? Wasn't it a good distance away?

3.25 miles


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Steelslady]

One thing I noticed in the footage of the drained pond was a bridge that appeared to go over it. I wonder if he could have fallen off the bridge.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's definitely another possibility, especially if he was in the middle of the bridge- it would be very deep there for a small child.

 

[Steelslady]

I’m thoroughly confused now. I find some reports that search dogs tracked him to a barn, but I find more reports that they tracked him to the pond.

Does anyone have a link to the authorities stating anything about the search dogs?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is confusing because they mentioned his scent being at both places, but focused on the pond shortly afterwards. I can only assume that they checked the barn out thoroughly and didn't find anything in or around there that would indicate he had been harmed in the barn. It is strange, though, and it is quite a distance from the pond. Hopefully the coroner can get a good idea as to his time of death. I know he wandered off the day before, but his family found him within 20 or so minutes. So he couldn't have wandered into the barn then, either.

The barn has me perplexed. Many folks were saying that it rained out after he went missing (and was found) the first time this week, and they said if there had been any foot prints, they would have washed away. I don't recall LE saying there was foot prints at the barn, just his scent. Still, the ditance from his house to the barn is a long ways away, then back to the pond. I can't figure it out myself. Oh and all of the dogs were drawn to both places, it was reported. Not just a couple of dogs toward the pond and a couple of others at the barn.

 

[Abp5]

Well, two things- we don't know yet if the pond was shallow enough for anyone to wade in, or was it very deep, even in the outer area of the pond? I live on a lake- we have a beach area that gradually you can walk in, however, neighbors further down- you step one foot in the lake in their yard, and you are almost over your head- and I am talking about an adult stepping in, not a child! We don't know if Raul could swim or not- he may have panicked if he fell in,

Also, around that area, there is probably a lot of wild life. Could he have been running from an animal or a large bird and just fell in?

We need more details about the pond- was there an area to walk in, or was it deep on the edges already, making it impossible to walk out of.

so far, the sheriff thinks it was accidental, so for the time being, until the coroner determines if it was accidental or not, we wait holding our breathes, hoping that no one harmed him intentionally, all the while upset that this poor darling died in the first place.

More info about the pond from an article a couple of days ago.

“The farm is 800 yards away from the child’s home, according to Sheriff Ralph Kersey.

Evidence found nearby caused searchers to center their efforts on Manis’ pond. Multiple sets toddler-sized foot prints were found in the mud around the pond, according to Kersey. Detectives believed the prints were fresh because rain that fell in the area overnight Monday would have washed away old prints. Multiple search dogs repeatedly led rescuers to the pond.

Dive teams from Marlboro and Cumberland counties searched the pond and used sonar equipment on Wednesday and Thursday in an attempt to locate the child. The pond is five feet deep around the edge and up to eight feet in the center.”

http://www.laurinburgexchange.com/news/13780/search-for-child-turns-to-nearby-bodies-of-water