SELLERSBURG, Ind. — State police say they are still working to identify a young boy found in a suitcase in southern Indiana after receiving hundreds of tips from the public.
A suitcase with a Las Vegas design was found on the evening of April 16 by a man hunting for mushrooms in a heavily wooded area of Washington County.
The body of a male Black child was inside the suitcase.
Investigators say the boy was around 4 feet tall with a slim build and short hair. They estimate he was around 5 years old when he died, and his death happened within a week of the suitcase being found.
A national tip line was set up to generate leads, and ISP says none of the “several hundred” tips have led to identifying the child.
Several of the tips suggested the child could be Codi Bigsby, a four-year-old boy missing from Hampton, Virginia, but ISP says that does not appear to be the case.
“Investigators have said, to date, there has been NO MATCH to any child currently listed on a missing child list, including Codi Bigsby,” wrote ISP Sgt. Carey Huls in an email.
At the onset of the investigation, state police said they do not believe the child was reported missing before he was found.
No sketch has been released of the victim, and ISP says it is to preserve the integrity of the investigation, according to CNN.
“Investigators are working very hard in the background utilizing a variety of investigative techniques and technologies; however, they would love to get that tip from someone who has first-hand knowledge as to who this child could be,” Huls’ email read.
Investigators say they are not ruling anything out when it comes to where the boy came from — including the possibility of him being from another state or even outside of the U.S.
Toxicology results are still pending in the boy’s death. An autopsy has been completed.
State police continue to urge anyone with information to call the tip line at 1-888-437-6432.
