TX - Troy Khoeler, 7, found dead inside washing machine, Spring, July 2022 *arrests*

[California Dreamin’]

1. Troy adopted into home, he was foster child in 2019.
2. Mom working night shift at hospital, Wednesday night.
3. Dad comes home around midnight on Wednesday night/Thursday morning.
4. Report Troy missing at 5:20 am
5. LEO searches neighborhood,
6. Troy found by deputies at 7:00 am ish on Thursday morning, in top loading washing machine located at garage of family.
7. LEO takes parents to Police Station for questions.

Questions,
1. What time did Mom get to work on Wednesday night?
2. Where was Dad on Wednesday night?
3. Who was watching Troy when Mom went to work?
4. Dad came home at midnight, Wednesday/Thursday. Was there anyone else home?
5. What time did Mom get home from work? What time did she leave work?
6. Why didn't Dad report Troy missing if he couldn't find him or see him when he got home at 12:00 am?
7. Why did deputies search the neighborhood before searching the house and garage?

Note: I have a new Samsung top loader without an agitator. There is plenty of room for a child in there. The locking mechanism is engaged once the washer is turned on. In my experience, I don't see how a washer would turn on accidentally, lock and start filling. It takes a sequence of pressing two buttons, "Power" and "Start".

These are all excellent questions! I would assume LE have asked them and more.

While I can concur that children do weird things sometimes when sleepwalking or frightened, something seems very “off” about a father returning home and not checking on his child, or perhaps he did and something went sideways? I regret that after following a few similar cases recently, I tend to be rather pessimistic, unfortunately .

 

[ctmom]

When I read "washing machine"... I instantly thought of Jodi Arias running her camera through Travis' washing machine with a load of laundry.

 

[katydid23]

These are all excellent questions! I would assume LE have asked them and more.

While I can concur that children do weird things sometimes when sleepwalking or frightened, something seems very “off” about a father returning home and not checking on his child, or perhaps he did and something went sideways? I regret that after following a few similar cases recently, I tend to be rather pessimistic, unfortunately .

When Dad arrived home and found the open/unlocked door, I'd think the first thing done would be checking on his child. An open door could mean he had left or been taken.

 

[California Dreamin’]

When Dad arrived home and found the open/unlocked door, I'd think the first thing done would be checking on his child. An open door could mean he had left or been taken.

Personally, I can’t imagine coming home and not finding my child and not immediately calling my spouse and police. I would be hysterical, ESPECIALLY if I found the door open. JMHO

 

[NeverPersonal]

so confused about the timeline / who was with the kid / <modsnip> was going on in general

 

[bombardier]

If this was a younger child, an accidental death in a top-loading washing machine would be much easier to wrap my head around. I used to watch a lot of Rescue 911 and there were multiple segments where toddlers would open the lid halfway thru a cycle, lean it too far, fall in completely, and drown. but a 7 year old- firstly, much less likely to get curious and fall in in the first place. if they did lean too far and fall in, im guessing most 7 y/o would be able to push themselves out. but, if i suspend disbelief, i can perhaps see a situation where a little kid was wanting to help his parents out and add a clothing item to an already water filled machine, leaned in, fell in w arms extended, panicked, and drowned. this is banking on the idea that this house had a large/deep machine without a central agitator, though.

 

[vls12345]

Did the washer have water in it?

If it did not, is a washer airtight (i.e., could he have suffocated by being inside with the lid closed for hours)?

 

[Shamrock1]

If this was a younger child, an accidental death in a top-loading washing machine would be much easier to wrap my head around. I used to watch a lot of Rescue 911 and there were multiple segments where toddlers would open the lid halfway thru a cycle, lean it too far, fall in completely, and drown. but a 7 year old- firstly, much less likely to get curious and fall in in the first place. if they did lean too far and fall in, im guessing most 7 y/o would be able to push themselves out. but, if i suspend disbelief, i can perhaps see a situation where a little kid was wanting to help his parents out and add a clothing item to an already water filled machine, leaned in, fell in w arms extended, panicked, and drowned. this is banking on the idea that this house had a large/deep machine without a central agitator, though.

With most newer machines, you can’t open the machine halfway through the cycle. There’s a very limited period you can add an item - typically the “sensing” minutes. He could have started a load himself, I guess, or interrupted a just-beginning load that someone started remotely.

 

[mickey2942]

If this was a younger child, an accidental death in a top-loading washing machine would be much easier to wrap my head around. I used to watch a lot of Rescue 911 and there were multiple segments where toddlers would open the lid halfway thru a cycle, lean it too far, fall in completely, and drown. but a 7 year old- firstly, much less likely to get curious and fall in in the first place. if they did lean too far and fall in, im guessing most 7 y/o would be able to push themselves out. but, if i suspend disbelief, i can perhaps see a situation where a little kid was wanting to help his parents out and add a clothing item to an already water filled machine, leaned in, fell in w arms extended, panicked, and drowned. this is banking on the idea that this house had a large/deep machine without a central agitator, though.

I don't know what machine they had, but our Samsung is about 4 feet off the ground, the lid raises up. The lid doesn't open on our machine when water is in it. I am sure there is a way to open it, I haven't figured it out.

My Mom is 5'2", and hates the new machine. She can't reach in to get clothes from the bottom. She has a step stool, and "reacher" to grab clothes in the bottom of the washer.

It depends on the set up, but it isn't exactly designed to be easy for kids to hop in and pull the lid down.

 

[mickey2942]

Some newer washers are “smart” - you can schedule a load or start a load remotely from your phone.

Interesting. Why would someone schedule to start a wash when they are not home? My assumption, is put clothes in washer and start it.

Huh. Too many smart things in the house.

Speaking of which, I wonder if any neighbors have "Ring" cameras...might be some interesting information

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

I would hope that forensics would be looking at fingerprints all over that machine. If he climbed in himself, for whatever reason, his prints would be on the top, the lid, maybe the sides, maybe even inside the lid if he closed it once inside. If he was placed in the machine, his prints may not be on it at all. Who would kill a child they just adopted? Who would be stupid enough to report him missing when he's still in the home easily findable? Speaking hypothetically here. Has it been stated yet whether there was water in the machine or whether he died from asphyxiation or was dead prior to being found in the machine?

 

[Springrain]

Some newer washers are “smart” - you can schedule a load or start a load remotely from your phone.

I had no idea this was a thing. You learn something new everyday.

Did the washer have water in it?

If it did not, is a washer airtight (i.e., could he have suffocated by being inside with the lid closed for hours)?

I theorize that poor Troy could have died of suffocation and/or heat exposure by being stuck inside the washing machine for hours. It is hot, hot, hot in Texas, especially, I imagine, in a garage and the enclosed space of a washing machine. Now, whether it was a tragic accident or he was forced there, I do wonder. I wonder if, it was murder, if it's possible he was drugged? Just a theory.

 

[Iknewit80]

I need to know when each parent is claiming they last saw the child alive and when was the last time anyone else saw the child alive. The timeline on when the parents arrived home and when they noticed him missing is wacky, but I haven't seen it mentioned when the last time he was seen alive.

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

Back in the day (1970s, perhaps earlier as well) if you put a refrigerator/freezer at the curb for pickup, you had to take the door off so a child couldn't get locked inside because the door handles locked it shut. Apparently our washing machine and dryer manufacturers with these horrible locking lids didn't get the message. As an operator of a washing machine, I resent that I can't open the lid when I want/need to without jumping through hoops, and it seems once it's locked, neither could a child inside. But that's during a cycle... I can open and close my washing machine lid freely if it's not running a cycle. So again, I'm curious if a cycle ran while he was in it (I just cannot imagine!!!) because if it did not, he should have been able to push the lid open to get out if went inside, alive, freely.

 

[California Dreamin’]

How long was the little guy left at home to fend for himself? He was only 7 years old. We’re told the father returned at midnight and the mother was at work. Clearly, if they chanced leaving him at home without a sitter, SURELY the father should have checked on him immediately upon his return. He was not reported missing until after 5 am. SMH. Unusual at best. <modsnip>

Most of the thoughts racing through my mind are not good. It is possible he climbed in there out of fear, but fear of what or whom? JMO.

 

[Springrain]

So again, I'm curious if a cycle ran while he was in it (I just cannot imagine!!!) because if it did not, he should have been able to push the lid open to get out if went inside, alive, freely.

Here's something I wonder that is probably a dumb thought. What if something had been placed on top of the lid after he entered the washing machine (whether forced or by accident) and he couldn't push the lid open because of the added weight?

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

Here's something I wonder that is probably a dumb thought. What if something had been placed on top of the lid after he entered the washing machine (whether forced or by accident) and he couldn't push the lid open because of the added weight?

I don't think ANY thoughts in any of these cases should be considered dumb. You never know. That's definitely a possibility. But then LE would have noticed that and case closed?

 

[Springrain]

I don't think ANY thoughts in any of these cases should be considered dumb. You never know. That's definitely a possibility. But then LE would have noticed that and case closed?

That's why I thought it might be dumb - but there is the possibility that one of the parents was doing laundry and could not hear Troy struggling inside the machine, dropped off a heavy basket of laundry on top of the lid. Just some speculation. I am really not sure what to think at all until we see autopsy results. This is a weird one.

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

That's why I thought it might be dumb - but there is the possibility that one of the parents was doing laundry and could not hear Troy struggling inside the machine, dropped off a heavy basket of laundry on top of the lid. Just some speculation. I am really not sure what to think at all until we see autopsy results. This is a weird one.

I hear you. I hope they're able to tell what happened. And thinking outside the box is always great as you never know when someone comes up with an idea someone else hadn't thought of!

 

[wary]

With most newer machines, you can’t open the machine halfway through the cycle. There’s a very limited period you can add an item - typically the “sensing” minutes. He could have started a load himself, I guess, or interrupted a just-beginning load that someone started remotely.

I don’t know how the remote-start machines work, but it seems to me that they should be designed to not be able to be started remotely unless they lock at the time that they’re loaded.