On Wednesday, a 12-year-old Detroit boy who had been missing since June 14 was found alive in his father’s basement.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig said police weren’t ruling out the possibility of a homicide in the disappearance of Charlie Bothuell V. But on Tuesday, Craig announced that police had found Charlie alive in the basement of his home.
On Tuesday his father, Charlie Bothuell IV, appeared on the Nancy Grace show to share the story of his son’s disappearance. Bothuell was on air when he found out his son had been found in his home. His reaction was one of shock and confusion.
Bothuell went on to describe an urgent search for the boy after receiving a call from his wife at about 9:45 p.m. on June 14. The boy’s stepmother said Charlie had left their home at about 9 p.m. Bothuell was at his office in Southfield trying to get some work done so he would have a free Sunday, Father’s Day, to spend with his children.
Charlie was discovered by police as they executed another search warrant on the home. Police said Charlie was hidden by a makeshift barricade that police don’t believe he could have made himself. The boy was crouched behind a container with food nearby. Authorities say that Charlie didn’t call out for help, but was happy to see police.
“In 37 years of policing, I will tell you, I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Craig said. “But the outcome, I couldn’t be happier.”
Charlie told investigators his stepmother helped him hide. His father and the family’s attorney both denied that claim.
Bothuell responded to the police’s suspicions of his involvement in the disappearance:
“For anybody to imply that I somehow knew that my son was in the basement, it’s absurd and it’s wrong. I love my son. I’m glad that he’s home and he’s going to have the great future that he deserves to have – I want to see my son.”
The police had searched the Bothuell residence several times before with cadaver dogs, so it’s still unknown if Charlie was in the basement the entire time.
Bothuell said he came home from work and called authorities. He described the response from a dispatcher as dismissive and disrespectful, and he said it took three calls to actually report the child missing. Bothuell said he was asked to take a Detroit police lie detector test, but refused after being questioned for eight hours. He went on to say that Detroit police were not truthful with him about what to expect during the investigation.
Bothuell eventually agreed to an FBI-administered polygraph test, but his wife declined to take one.
The boy is in his mother’s care.
NEWS SOURCE: USAToday | VIDEO CREDIT: News Inc.
