Posted on 07/18/2013 2:01:08 PM PDT by Sopater
UPDATE: 1:50 p.m. Thursday:
Sheriff says Anoka County coroner out of Minnesota is conducting the autopsy. Sheriff says they don't want to speculate anything on the case at this time and will release more information after the autopsy is complete. Polk County Sheriff's Department is the lead investigator, but the Wisconsin Department of Justice is assisting. WQOW News 18 spoke with a neighbor of the family who says Isaiah Theis' father worked on cars at his home. We will have a report coming up tonight on News 18 at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
UPDATE 1:30 p.m. Thursday from Polk County Sheriff Peter Johnson:
The Polk County Sheriff's Office is calling for a press conference at 3:30 p.m. on 7/18/2013 in the lobby of the Justice Center, 1005 W. Main Street, Balsam Lake, WI 54810. They do not intend to release any new information, but will give those present a recap of the release information as well as an opportunity to ask some general questions. They said they will not be able to answer questions specific to the details of the investigation.
Chief Deputy, Steve Moe, will be the person to hold this conference.
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UPDATE (10 a.m. Thursday): Press release from the Polk County Sheriff's Dept.
On 7/17/2013 at approximately 10:15 p.m., the body of two-year-old Isaiah Theis was located in the trunk of a locked vehicle located near the residence where he lived. Initial reports indicate that while the vehicle had been looked into and the area around the vehicle had been searched several times, searchers had been advised that the vehicle had been locked prior to Isaiah being reported as missing and that it was extremely unlikely that he could have been in it based on that information.
At about 10 p.m., the owner of the car arrived to remove it. Prior to the owner leaving with the car, a deputy opened the trunk and Isaiah was located.
The death of an otherwise healthy two-year-old boy requires a complete and thorough investigation as to any possible cause, whether that cause is accidental or criminal. At this very early stage of the investigation, the cause and manner of death is unknown.
The scene was processed by the Wisconsin Department of Justice with the assistance of the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Polk County Medical Examiner's Office.
A full autopsy has been requested and it would be inappropriate for anyone to speculate as to the cause and nature of death until that examination has been done.
The investigation into Isaiah's death is being conducted by investigators of DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation, the Polk County Sheriff's Office, and the Polk County Medical Examiner's office.
Registrations at the staging area indicate that approximately 2,450 civilian volunteers assisted with the search throughout the day on the 17th. Without the assistance of those volunteers, we would not have been able to adequately search the areas that needed to be searched. I couldn't be more impressed by the compassion of the people living in this area. THANK YOU! To everyone that came to assist in the search, that provided food, water and other supplies or who assisted in many other ways to support this enormous effort.
UPDATE (9:30 a.m. Thursday): The Polk County Sheriff's Department is expected to issue a press release this morning with more information regarding the death of Isaiah Theis. Continue to check back, as we will update this story with new details.
UPDATE (11:10 p.m. Wednesday): Press release from the Polk County Sheriff's Dept.
On 7/17/2013, just after 10 P.M. Isaiah Theis was located deceased by a law enforcement officer. At this time no further information will be released tonight.
UPDATE (10 p.m. Wednesday): Search teams have suspended their search for the night and will resume at 6 a.m. on Thursday. Polk County Sheriff Pete Johnson says St. Louis County (MN) is sending a special search and rescue team on Thursday. It's the same team that was instrumental in the search for a missing man five years ago in Burnett County.
If you'd like to volunteer, go to the Polk-Burnett Power Cooperative on Highway 35 in Centuria. That's where volunteers are gathering. Sheriff Johnson is urging volunteers to dress appropriately.
UPDATE (6 p.m. Wed): The Polk County Sheriff has confirmed several volunteers and emergency workers treated for heat related illness from searching Wednesday. More than 500 volunteers have shown up on scene for the search, which has grown to more than 2 square miles. Searchers have cleared a lake and continue to search a swampy area. Isaiah Theis has a history of wandering and rescuers are operating under that theory at this point.
If you'd like to help search, please contact the Polk County Sheriff's Department. You can also drive up Highway 35 to the Polk-Burnett Power Cooperative at the volunteer staging area. As of 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night the search will have eclipsed the 24-hour period since the two-year-old went missing.
UPDATE: The Polk County sheriff says as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17 they still have not found missing 2-year-old Isaiah Theis but the search continues. The sheriff also said there is no reason to believe the toddler was kidnapped.
Polk Co. (Press Release) -- On 7/16/2013 at 8:49 p.m. Polk County Dispatch Center received a call of a missing two-year-old from a house on the 1500 block of 180th Street, near Centuria in Polk County.
According to his mother, two-year-old Isaiah Theis, was last seen in his house playing with his brother at approximately 7:30 p.m. Upon realizing Isaiah was no longer in the house, the family, friends and neighbors began to search the immediate area.
When they were unable to locate him, they contacted law enforcement for assistance. Law enforcement requested the assistance of both Centuria and Balsam Lake fire departments for manpower to assist in the search.
Volunteer searchers began to arrive on scene after reading of Isaiah being gone on social media web sites. Approximately 150 volunteers had arrived to assist in the search. Organized searches of the surrounding area were begun and the Minnesota State Patrol helicopter was also requested to assist with their Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) unit. Unfortunately, no areas of interest were identified.
At about 1:30 a.m., after consulting with the family, the search was suspended until 6:00 a.m. because it was becoming dangerous for searches to continue in the dark. It also provided law enforcement an opportunity to prepare for the next day's search.
At 6:00 a.m., the search resumed. All of the areas searched last night were again searched. The search today was intended to be a slower, more detailed search of those same areas in the daylight.
As the areas that we believe Isaiah would most likely be are again cleared, we will move the search farther.
Volunteer searchers continue to arrive. We are asking that those that wish to help dress appropriately for the task and report to the Polk-Burnett complex in Centuria. Volunteers will be asked to wait there until a search area is identified. Search teams will be assembled and then they will be bussed to that area.
As of 9:30 a.m. the search has not located Isaiah.
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Polk Co. (KSTP) -- A 2-year-old is missing after wandering away from his rural Wisconsin home Tuesday night.
Isaiah Theis was last seen wearing a green shirt, blue shorts, white socks, and possibly no shoes. His parents tell us they last saw Isaiah playing with his 7-year-old brother around 7:30 Tuesday night in Centuria. They called police after they couldn't find him.
Overnight about 150 volunteers showed up to search for Isaiah. The Polk County Sheriff says they searched a one-square-mile area around the house, by foot and by air. That search was called off around 3 a.m. because the Polk County Sheriff's Office deemed it too dangerous.
Crews regrouped and began searching again at 6 a.m. Anyone with information is asked to call the Polk County Sheriff's Office at 715-485-8300.
It seems to me that it's very odd that a 2-yr-old could crawl into the trunk of a "locked car" by himself even with the help of his 5-yr-old brother. I have a feeling that foul play is involved.
Other thoughts?
Thanks. Been watching this from the MN side of the river. Busy today so haven’t seen an update until this.
Reminds me of Casey Anthony...
Searchers should have searched the car anyway. People are wrong about this kind of thing all the time.
Terribly sad story. I assume whoever said the car was locked was mistaken, and that this could be an accident involving hiding from the older brother.
“Reminds me of Casey Anthony...”
Right or wrong, it was my first thought as well.
Yes. “Winning” at hide-and-seek is a plausible explanation. Let’s see where the evidence takes us, I certainly wouldn’t rule out foul play just yet, either.
a few years ago the body of a months missing toddler was discovered when the family aboveground pool thawd;searchers didn’t drain the frozem over pool that cold day of the search,since it was “obviously” frozen over.In freezing weather such a pool or tank can refreeze a ne complete ice sheet within a short time after some child or animal breaks through and drowns.
Hamilton County (Cincinnat,Ohio) current newly elected sherrif was reprimanded as a young deputy for failing to search a car being towed and impounded.A body was discovered in the car’s trunk days or weeks later.
ASSUME is a trap that catches many.
Lots of cars have a trunk button on the remote. It could be just kids playing with the keys.
Now we know where she moved to.
Eric Holder’s people or more sons of 0dumb0? Sounds like something they would do!
No, I wouldn't either, but the accident scenario is very reasonable, too.
There are many possibilities. The older boy probably has an idea and is petrified.
Wow, that’s awful about the pool.
Nope, we have plenty of dumb white people in Wisconsin. Thanks.
Yeah, a friend of some of my old roommates (cute gal, I met her) thought it would be a good idea to hide from a cop in a spa.
The owners found her the following spring.
Quite possible... I think that earlier I had said that he was 5, but it turns out he is 7. I hope he can shed some light on this.
Kids don’t grow up if you keep them locked up ... but so many things can go wrong ...
Update on missing WI toddler (found dead in trunk o locked car)
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
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