3-Year-Old Boy In Diaper Locked Outside, Found Frozen To Death: Cops Cried Removing His Body

A Toronto family is facing the horrible tragedy of losing their three-year-old little boy, Elijah Marsh. The little boy wandered from his family’s home on Thursday, only to find himself locked outside wearing only a diaper, a t-shirt and boots in the frigid cold. Six hours later, Elijah was found frozen to death, causing his family unsurmountable grief, as reported by Huffington Post.

The Examiner reports that Elijah was staying at his grandmother’s apartment and while everyone was sleeping, he left the apartment, and ventured outside.

When the family awoke around 7:30 a.m. to find Elijah missing and their apartment door standing open, they immediately contacted the police. At that time, Toronto police alerted the community and even posted on Twitter regarding the missing boy, urgently asking residents to look under their cars for the missing boy before driving.

An amazing number of people in the community, literally hundreds, rallied around the family in search for Elijah, including police on horseback and helicopters.

During the investigations, surveillance footage revealed a child that appeared to be Elijah leaving his family’s apartment around 4:05 a.m. Sadly, that is the last image of the boy alive.

As numerous people searched in every imaginable place they thought he could be, Elijah’s frozen body was found by two volunteers. The little boy’s body was found huddled up next to an air conditioner in a neighbor’s yard, where he had fallen asleep a mere 1,000 feet from his family’s apartment.

As police arrived to remove Elijah’s body, many tears were shed as his lifeless body was carried to the ambulance. Elijah had suffered for six hours in the freezing temperatures as low as 20 degrees.

When the grandmother learned the news of her missing grandson, Elijah, her devastation was evident in her cries of, “No! No! No!,” as per Huffington Post. A longtime family friend, Milli Dyer, remembers Elijah as a rambunctious little boy who “is very energetic and runs around all over the place.”

A vigil was held on Sunday, and a fund was established to help the family with the expense of the funeral. Over $175,000 has already been donated and after expenses, the balance will go to the family.

Toronto Police alerted the community on social media stating, “We regret to announce that 3-year-old Elijah has died. Our thoughts are with his family and all affected by this tragedy.”

[Photo Credit: HuffingtonPost.com]