The teen who had been missing for three weeks was discovered inside the chimney of an abandoned house following a frantic search for the boy.
According to the reports, 14-year-old Harley Dilly from Port Clinton, Ohio, went missing on December 20 and was last seen before going on his way to school.
Following his sudden disappearance, the police have started a search for the boy and decided to check the home in which Harley found himself trapped in on multiple occasions without success. On their final try, the detectives discovered the teen’s lifeless body stuck in the chimney.
The home was unoccupied at the time due to an undergoing renovation, whereas Harley is believed to have entered the chimney on purpose.
As the police stated, they believe that the 14-year-old “climbed an antenna tower to the roof and entered the chimney.”
While some of the boy’s personal items managed to pass through the vent on the second floor, the boy allegedly found himself stuck somewhere between the first and second floor.
“The house had previously been checked multiple times … We had no reason to believe anyone was in the house. This is not the outcome anyone wanted,” Police Chief Robert Hickman said.
According to the reports, this wasn’t the first time the boy had left his home and failed to return before nightfall. Allegedly, he spent the night away from his parents on several occasions when he got upset.
“There is no evidence of forced entry. There was a lockbox, doors were secured. Since there is a lockbox and anyone can go in and out of the house, we went inside to check the house,” the chief added in a press conference.
“We were then able to discover what we believe to be Harley, who was caught in the chimney. His family was notified early this morning, and this appears to be an accident.”
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Replaced!