Boy, 8, Who Disappeared In Washington Found 9 Months Later In Missouri

An 8-year-old boy who went missing from Washington state nearly 9 months ago was found safe in Missouri.

Officials began searching for the Hawaii-born child, Breadson John, after receiving reports from concerned community members about his wellbeing.

Detectives from the Vancouver Police Department conducted a welfare check at the boy’s home on June 17 and spoke to the child’s grandparents. The grandparents said the boy was not missing but refused to provide any more details about Breadson’s whereabouts, according to USA TODAY.

The grandparents, Masterino Machuo and Refoela Refalopei were the child’s custodians. They moved out of their apartment a few weeks after the welfare check and were not cooperative with investigators during the months-long search for the child.

Following the disappearance, officials believed the boy had ties to or might be found in Arizona, Hawaii, Washington or the Federated States of Micronesia.

The FBI issued a missing person poster for Breadson in January and received information last week about Breadson traveling on a plane to Missouri with his grandfather in August. But when the grandfather returned to Washington, the child was not with him.

Officials found the child “safe and apparently healthy” with his aunt in Jasper County, Missouri, a spokesperson with the FBI Seattle said.

The FBI in Kansas City recovered the boy and placed him in the custody of Missouri’s Department of Social Services.

“Breadson’s recovery would not have been possible without the combined efforts of the Vancouver Police Department, FBI Kansas City, and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “We are relieved at this outcome and how quickly we were able to resolve it.”

Machuo and Refalopei had pleaded not guilty in December to charges of misdemeanor custodial interference against them.

Officials are still investigating why the grandparents were not cooperative with investigators and why the boy was taken to Missouri. They are also trying to map out Breadson’s movements from June to August.

FBI Seattle spokesperson Steve Bernd said they are not sure if the child was being sent to school.

“You think the worst when you hear a child is missing. Just to get him back safe and alive, everyone is very pleased with how this played out,” he said, according to NBC News.