State police plan to release new details in case of 5-year-old boy found dead in suitcase in southern Indiana

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Major developments are expected to be announced Wednesday in the case of a 5-year-old boy found dead earlier this year in a suitcase in rural southern Indiana.

Indiana State Police plans to hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Back in April, a boy — who investigators describe as black, about 4 feet tall, with a slim build and short hair — was found in the woods about 80 feet from a rural road near New Pekin.

The toxicology report showed no foreign substances in his system, and he had no significant external injuries, according to ISP Sgt. Carey Huls. He was found clean and clothed, and there is no indication he was placed in the suitcase alive.

A month after he was found, ISP said the boy likely died from an electrolyte imbalance, most likely due vomiting and diarrhea, leading to dehydration.

"It's a very odd, tragic case," Huls said in May.

Mark McDonald, a medical director for Norton Children's Hospital, said dying from dehydration is uncommon for a a young child, unless in some type of neglect. He said it could also take several days to die from dehydration, depending on fluid intake.

Below is a timeline of events in the case leading up to Tuesday's new details:

April 16: Police said a man who was mushroom-hunting found the body of a boy in a wooded secluded area in Washington County that evening about 80 feet off a rural road near New Pekin, Indiana.
April 17: Police released information in the case and asked for help identifying the child or his parents.
April 18: Indiana State Police announced a dedicated tip line for information: 1-888-437-6432.
April 19: Police released that the 5-year-old's body was found inside a suitcase, hoping someone would recognize it. The suitcase was in good condition with Las Vegas logos wrapped around it.
April 24: People living in New Pekin came together for a vigil to show their support, hoping and praying his case will be solved.
May 28: Police said the child died from an electrolyte imbalance, most likely due vomiting and diarrhea, leading to dehydration. Police said he was found clean and clothed, and there was no indication he was placed in the suitcase alive.
June 1: Donations helped pay for this funeral at Crown Hill Cemetery, where the child was buried.

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