Father Speaks Out About 5-Year-Old Boy with Autism Who Died After Leaving Home While Mom Napped

Mar. 15, 2025

Joshua McCoy.Photo:Coos County Sheriff’s Office Facebook

Coos County Sheriff’s Office Facebook

The father of a missing 5-year-old Oregon boywho was found dead less than two miles away from his homesaid he wants what led to the tragic circumstances surrounding his son.

According to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Joshua, who had autism,was last seen at his home on Stage Road in Hauseron Saturday, Nov. 9.

In a Monday, Nov. 11Facebook update, the sheriff’s office said the search for Joshua intensified the day before, employing authorities and drones in the surrounding areas. The department also said it requested the help of state and federal agencies.

Then on Nov. 12, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office announced thatthe boy’s remains were located.

Furthermore, the sheriff’s office highlighted, “The areas that have been searched have been very thorough and methodical due to the circumstances behind the disappearance.”

In his interview with OregonLive, Joshua’s father, Lawson, said that he hadn’t seen his son in more than a year after moving back to Ohio. He met his girlfriend in Utah, and they became parents to Joshua. Then, the family moved to Coos Bay after the girlfriend received a job offer as a nurse. While she worked, Lawson, who had served in the Air Force and on disability, took care of Joshua at home.

Lawson’s brother, Joshua (who shares the same first name as his young nephew) told the outlet that Lawson believes that what happened was his fault because he left Oregon and now feels guilty.

AGoFundMewas established to help pay for the younger Joshua’s funeral expenses which would include having the boy buried in Ohio with his great-grandparents. Money from the fundraiser will also be used for counseling and therapy and to hire a private investigator to look into Joshua’s death.

“I nurtured him and bathed him and fed him. I mean, I knew his favorite foods. I knew his favorite colors,” Lawson said, reported OregonLive. “I can’t believe this has happened.”

PEOPLE reached out to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office and the GoFundMe organizer for comment on Friday, Nov. 15, but they did not immediately respond.

source: people.com