Foul Play Suspected As 4-Year-Old Amish Boy Found Dead In Lake; Mother Made “Concerning Statements”; Husband Remains Missing (UPDATE: Husband’s Body Found In Lake)

This is a truly bizarre and disturbing story involving a family from the Holmes County, Ohio Amish community.

A four-year-old Amish boy’s body was recovered from a local recreational lake Saturday – while the boy’s father remains missing.

And the Amish mother has come under suspicion, after it was determined she intentionally drove a golf cart into the water Saturday morning – with several of her older children aboard.

Atwood Lake is a popular recreational destination located not far from the Holmes County Amish community

Authorities responded to that incident – and soon made further concerning discoveries. Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis L. Campbell explained more in a news release:

He said the woman, who was not identified in a news release, drove the golf cart into the water at 10:39 a.m. near Atwood Marina West. Deputies and Atwood rangers responded.

“After helping the woman out of the water, the woman made concerning statements about conversing with God,” Campbell said in a news release. He said the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District has asked the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office to lead the investigation.

The woman’s 15-year-old daughter and twin 18-year-old sons got out of the water on their own and were safe.

A search crew’s boat on Atwood Lake. Image: WKYC

After speaking with the woman, authorities were led to a tragic discovery:

The family lives in Holmes County and was visiting the lake for the weekend, authorities said. Atwood Lake is a popular recreational area for boating, fishing and swimming.

Campbell said authorities became concerned for the safety of the 4-year-old son and the woman’s husband after conversations with the woman and children.

“It became evident after piecing together numerous statements from the woman, the children and other witnesses … that foul play was suspected,” Campbell said.

Divers located the body of the 4-year-old at 6:03 p.m. off the end of a boat dock.

Full statement from the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office

It sounds like there may be serious mental health issues at play here – and the husband remains missing:

“At this time the mother has been hospitalized for some mental health concerns and the husband remains missing,” Campbell said.

“His safety is definitely in question and he was last seen by a witness unrelated to the family … with the mother at the same boat dock where the 4-year-old was later located at the bottom of the lake.”

One detail: nowhere in the story, or in the Sheriff’s statement, does it say that the boy drowned – just that he was found at the bottom of the lake.

Rescue and emergency response at Atwood Lake. Image: WKYC

It is hard to fathom an Amish mother doing something like this to her child, but nothing is outside the realm of the possible. That’s not to say there aren’t other alternative versions of what could have happened, but based on her behavior and being hospitalized for mental health concerns, that seems to be the direction things are pointing at this time.

The fact that the husband is also missing – as the Sheriff’s statement puts it, “His safety is definitely in question” – makes this that much more disturbing. And you have to fear the worst, as “missing” often enough equates to “dead” in these sorts of stories. Let’s hope and pray not.

In his statement, Sheriff Campbell noted that investigators had to stop searching the water yesterday evening, but were expected to renew their efforts this morning. That also leads one to believe that they are looking for a body.

Update #1

Here is a video report from WKYC, not really giving any new details, but confirming that the search continues Sunday. They also provide some footage from the lake with the search boat in the water.

Update #2: Husband’s Body Found

There has been a sad update to this story. The body of the 45-year-old father was recovered by divers Sunday morning, in an area of the lake not far from where his son was found. From News 5 Cleveland:

The search for the man resumed Sunday morning, and information provided to deputies on Saturday led them to believe the man could be located off of the same boat dock the young son had been found near, the sheriff’s office said.

Not long after the search resumed, divers located the body of the 45-year-old man about 50 yards from the edge of the dock, the sheriff’s office said.

Different statements pieced together from the mother, children and other witnesses led authorities to suspect foul play, the sheriff’s office said.

The names of the victims have not yet been released.