Missing Autistic Boy: Remains Found in Yard, Not Confirmed to Be His

Remains have been found in the backyard of a missing autistic boy’s Menifee, Calif., home, but no official confirmation has come that the remains are human or those of 11-year-old Terry Smith.

A CBS Los Angeles affiliate station reported that images from Sky2 showed a body being lifted from a grave near the home of Smith. Authorities have not confirmed that the boy was found dead.

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Smith has been missing since Saturday night from his home in Menifee, the local newspaper reported. Police investigators served a search warrant at the house Wednesday morning after they received information human remains may be there, the Riverside Press-Enterprise said.

More than 1,000 people searched for Smith over the weekend, the Press-Enterprise reported, and concerns about his welfare escalated with the heat, which topped 100 degrees much of the time.

Smith’s older brother was baby-sitting him Saturday night when he disappeared, the newspaper said. When Smith followed his brother down the road, he was told to go back home. When Smith’s mother got home later that night, she thought Smith was in bed. It wasn’t until Sunday morning that he was discovered missing.

The paper reported that investigators could be seen digging in the backyard of Smith’s home.

A Reuters news story said no arrests have been made and the family is cooperating with the investigation.

A Facebook page set up to organize volunteers, and which has more than 24,000 likes, posted a comment that the search wouldn’t officially be called off until they get the word from law enforcement.

That site was busy with people commenting, many who were on-site looking for Smith.

Rumors swirled that a body had been found abounded, but everyone was cautioned about waiting for official confirmation. One woman posted, “I am just sick to my stomach,” while others posted that Smith’s sister had confirmed his death on her Instagram account.

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