After two young children were charged in connection with the drowning death of an 8-year-old boy in southeast Georgia, attorneys for the family are now calling for more charges in the case.
Eight-year-old Noah Bush was first reported missing in Jesup, Georgia, on May 15 after he disappeared from home.
Following an 11-hour search, authorities found his body the next day in a construction “borrow pit” filled with water. A borrow pit is a deep hole dug in the ground to provide fill material like gravel or soil for construction projects.
After some investigation, law enforcement concluded that Noah’s death was accidental and said he took off his shoes and wandered around the pit in a “no trespassing” zone.
Knowing Noah was afraid of deep water, his family didn’t buy the story and hired a private investigator and attorneys to conduct their own investigation, WSB-TV reported. In the days after Noah’s body was found, Georgia state investigators started looking into his death and interviewed the children who were with him before he died.
An official autopsy later revealed that Bush died by drowning and that his death was a homicide.
“This finding was based on the fact that one of the two juveniles who were with Noah pushed him into the deep portion of the borrow pit they were wading in,” the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
Following that revelation, deputies charged a 10-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy.
The 11-year-old child, who authorities believe pushed Noah into the pit, was charged with simple battery, involuntary manslaughter, concealing the death of another, and criminal trespass.
The 10-year-old was charged with concealing the death of another and criminal trespass.
Lawyers for Noah’s family said Noah knew both boys and the 8-year-old trusted them. “He walked away with people he thought were friends and trustworthy,” the lawyers said. The attorneys believe that the children may have gotten into an argument and intentionally held Noah’s head underwater.
Now, they’re calling for further charges against the adults close to the juvenile defendants.
“The adults who helped to conceal and obstruct the investigation, and who instead of telling the truth became co-participants in this tragedy need to be held accountable,” the attorneys said. “The adults involved lied. We won’t stop until you’re held accountable for your actions.”
It’s unclear at this point if deputies plan to charge anyone else, but the investigation is ongoing.
“He was such a smart, loving, kind, shy, but yet so outgoing child, whose smile, and charm could light up the room. Noah loved basketball and football and couldn’t wait to make it to the pros to dunk on LeBron,” his family wrote.
A GoFundMe established for Noah’s family by his second grade teacher has surpassed its goal of $10,000.
