A woman walking her dog heard a child crying and alerted authorities, She did not tell them he was in a thicket. That is where the searchers found him. This is a very rural area with thick woods. The road on which his grandmother lives is not even paved. Local, state, and federal law enforcement, as well as members of the military from nearby Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base were all involved in the search for Casey. I find it extremely unlikely that all of these groups could have made such an error in judgement. If so, you can rest assured that the story will be corrected!
Thanks for the additional info and clarifying some of the gaps.