A young boy was found dead inside a suitcase in rural Indiana woods last month. He died of dehydration and showed no signs of trauma on his body, state police said.
An autopsy report said the boy — whose identity has yet to be identified — passed away of an “electrolyte imbalance” that was likely caused by the stomach flu, Indiana police announced Friday.
The child, who is said to be about 5-years-old, was both clothed and clean when he was discovered by a mushroom hunter in Washington County woods on April 16, police said.
There were no signs of trauma on his body and a toxicology report came back negative.
Detectives believe he was already dead when he was placed in the hard-shell suitcase. Police said he likely died less than a week before the suitcase was found.
The boy was about 4-feet-tall with a slim build and short haircut, cops stated.
“Investigators continue to utilize a variety of investigative techniques and have worked with several outside agencies during this investigation. Although numerous tips have been called into the nationwide tip line, detectives have not been able to identify the boy. Investigators are not ruling out the possibility that the child could be from out of state or even out of the country.”
Indiana State Police Sgt. Carey Huls said, “somebody knows something.”
“He didn’t put himself in that suitcase. Somebody did,” Huls said, according to the outlet. “Somebody out there has firsthand knowledge on what happened in the situation … and we need that person to come forward.”
