Jesse Wilson, 10, has been missing since mid July. Lead Jesse Home website.
Fourth grader Jesse Wilson disappeared from his bedroom in Buckeye, Arizona on July 17, 2016. Tragically, his remains have now been recovered.
The disappearance of Jesse, 10, has sparked massive searches by volunteers and police who have joined together to try to find the missing child. On Aug. 11, the FBI and Buckeye police gathered for a large search that gained media attention.
At his elementary school, “a yellow desk with a stuffed smiley face in its seat sits at the school entrance in his honor,” said The Arizona Republic. He was to attend the fourth grade at Bradley Academy of Excellence in Goodyear, but school has started without him.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Jesse Slipped Out of His Bedroom Window & Wasn’t Seen Again
“Light Up the Night for Jesse” More Live shots from the convoy #leadjessehome #jessewilson
Police say they believe Jesse sneaked out his bedroom window around 9:30 p.m., and he has not been found.
Jesse’s school has created a website to help find him. According to the website, Jesse was last seen wearing a red shirt, shorts, black socks and black shoes.
The school will be open to the public from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day until Jesse is found, says the website, which adds, “The staff and families of Bradley Creemos Academy are deeply saddened by the disappearance of our dear student Jesse Wilson. Our teachers and staff are highly motivated to do all we can to help the family, friends and community of Jesse Wilson. Jesse’s mom has expressed a desire for the leadership of Bradley Creemos Academy to serve as representatives of Jesse’s family. ”
Bradley Academy is a 501c3 non-profit Public Charter School.
Jesse’s remains were located in a desert area at State Route Highway 85 and Broadway Road and had been underwater, according to ABC News.
2. The Boy Was Known to Wander at Night But Always Came Back
The Arizona Republic says the youth would sometimes wander away, but never for this long.
Jesse is described as being 4 foot tall and weighing 60 pounds. Dominos Pizza put missing posters of Jesse’s disappearance on pizza boxes.
On the website, Lead Jesse Home, his school says, “We cannot stress enough our continued focus on finding Jesse and having him at his desk in time for the first day of school August 8th.”
However, that did not happen.
3. Police & Volunteers Have Searched Parks & The Desert
The Border Patrol initially helped in an extensive search of the desert.
People had so much help from community volunteers that an area that would normally take a week to search only took two days, said NewsOne. However, there was no sign of the missing child.
On Aug. 11, a large search was underway in Buckeye. Authorities were searching a large field, and they said that the search was connected to the missing child, according to ABC 15.
Aerial views showed searchers spread out through the field.
4. Jesse Loved School & His Dog
#Buckeye update: Officials asked @ARodriguezABC15 to stop recording while she was across the street from large @BuckeyePolice, FBI scene.
Jesse’s mother, Crystal Wilson, told The Arizona Republic that the boy loved school.
Jesse also had a pet dog he loved and enjoyed taking care of, said NewsOne.
Jesse’s school has taken a lead in helping to find him. The school’s website is calling Jesse’s school bus route, “The Jesse Road Home.”
“Teachers rode the Jesse Road Home, the school bus route that Jesse took from his home to the Bradley campus,” the website says. “The route will be decorated with pictures of Jesse and yellow ribbons signifying his path home and, in essence, leading him home to Bradley Academy.”
The school also asked that families “spend quality time together in the car while driving the Jesse Road Home, discussing their gratitude for one another. Parents should take the time to explain what is happening and begin laying the groundwork for fruitful and honest conversations with their children.”
5. Detectives Set up a Tip Line & Called in The FBI
JUST IN: FBI and police searching field in #Buckeye for boy who has been missing for weeks.
t.co/kjW9dL7iuc
More than 50 leads have come into a tip line set up by police, and they called in the Federal Bureau of Investigation for help, says ABC 15.
Jesse’s case was being considered a “high priority” and the FBI and police were sharing resources, said ABC 15.
The tip line is: 623-349-6411.