INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

David Puckett Missing: Body Found In Search For 6-Year-Old Colorado Boy

By Cia Young
Published on: 14:16 PST, Jan 3, 2017

Authorities announced Tuesday that a young boy’s body had been found during the search for David Puckett, 6, who went missing from his Aurora, Colorado, home on New Year’s Eve.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, David vanished on December 31, but an Amber Alert was not immediately issued when he was reported missing. This is because police believed David simply wandered away from his Aurora home, located about 15 miles southeast of Denver.

On Monday, the Aurora Police Department announced that the Colorado Bureau of Investigation agreed to issue an Amber Alert in David’s case because of the length of time he has been missing and the very cold winter weather that was expected to enter the area, according to The Denver Channel.

On Tuesday, during another of multiple searches for David, a child’s body was found in a pond at Olympic Park. Although authorities have not yet confirmed that the body is David, the home from which he vanished is near the park, according to The Denver Channel.

[Image by David Zalubowski/AP Images]

The pond had been checked prior by both David’s family and investigators, but there did not appear to be any cracks in the ice, The Denver Channel reports. The pond was checked a second time after search dogs led police to the area, which in turn led divers to find the body.

Aurora Police Chief Nicholas Metz spoke to media Tuesday, announcing the discovery of a child’s body in the iced-over pond. According to CBS News, Metz said, “I have the very unfortunate news of letting you know we found the body of what appears to be a child, inside the pond, underneath the ice.”

The day after David vanished, Aurora Police held a news conference, stating that David’s parents realized he was missing at around 5:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Metz informed press at the event that David had voluntarily left his home at least twice in the past, each time located safe and unharmed. On one occasion, David was found at a local store, and another time a concerned citizen called authorities when she spotted David alone.

Metz further noted that there was great concern about David’s well-being because when the child went missing, he was reportedly not wearing clothing appropriate for very cold weather. According to David’s family, when he disappeared he was wearing green camouflage pants, a black t-shirt, black and orange boots, and possibly a tan coat.

Also during Sunday’s news conference, David’s mother, Stephanie Puckett, spoke but appeared to be so upset that she could barely contain herself. Sobbing and tearful, she stated David is a good boy and very energetic. Stephanie also emphasized that David is “only 6-years-old” and that the coat he likely left the house with is “is not a very thick coat.” Stephanie explained that she’s extremely worried about something happening to David due to the winter weather. She also asked for anyone who knows where David is or may see him to call police immediately. Stephanie ended her emotional plea by adding, “Bring my baby home.”

The FBI also assisted in the effort to find David, which included a door-to-door search on Monday that took place within 2.5 miles of his home, according to the Washington Times.

According to The Denver Channel, David’s family has been notified that a child’s body was found, even though a positive identification has not yet been made. As such, the family has been described as being “devastated” by the news.

Police announced they are investigating the pond where the body was located as a crime scene. In order for David to have gotten to the pond, he would have had to cross a canal and a very busy street, The Denver Channel reports.

[Featured Image by Aurora Police Department]

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