‘I went in his room and he was dead’: PI who found Lucas Hernandez says ‘cold’ Emily Glass described how missing boy died before hiding remains [EXCLUSIVE]

After three months of exhaustive searching, the remains of 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez were found on May 24 under a culvert area in Harvey County, Kansas. A private investigator obtained by the boy’s father located the little Lucas, although the child was hardly recognizable. The woman who last saw Lucas alive, Emily Glass, led the PI to the remains and in the process, provided a different version of what supposedly happened to him.

Private investigator David Marshburn, of North Carolina, told CrimeOnline that Jonathan Hernandez, Lucas’ father, requested his services after numerous other searches failed to yield any results. While Marshburn doesn’t feel the father had anything to do with Lucas’ death, he said he thought Glass, the father’s live-in girlfriend, was likely culpable.

“Cold and callous,” Marshburn explained when asked about Glass’ demeanor. “She kept her sunglasses on, kept her arms crossed, didn’t say anything but short answers, and basically no emotion, not one time…..It was like staring at a photocopy of her mugshot.”

Marshburn explained that over the next several hours, Glass continued to evade his questions until he explained that the state could likely issue a death certificate for Lucas in seven months even without a body, and that Glass could still be liable. At that point, according to Marshburn, Glass’ demeanor changed and she began talking about Lucas, explaining the little boy simply died in his sleep.

Further, Marshburn said that after he told Glass detectives may push for drug testing using her hair follicles, she admitted to him she smoked “meth” while caring for Lucas and her toddler daughter. The PI said at that point he gained enough information from Glass to call law enforcement and possibly have her arrested, but he decided to press on, in hopes of her leading him to Lucas’ remains. Eventually, Glass did just that.

“I couldn’t do that to Lucas because if they [law enforcement] came at her the wrong way, she would never have to give it up. Lucas was my main concern….”

“We couldn’t get the exact location. It took us about four hours or so to ride around down each dirt path. She [Glass] gave us little clues here and there…Basically I said, ‘We are going to start at every bridge right here and then go down the line.’ The very first bridge we get to, I pull up, get out, laid down on the ground and peeked my head underneath, and there I see the top of Lucas’ head.”

Lucas was clothed and buried under branches, but in open view to Marshburn once he peeked under the small bridge. His little body was fairly decomposed, lying in the exact way Glass described to Marshburn. His hair had turned almost white due to the sunshine hitting through a slit in the bridge and directly onto his head for three months.

Glass stayed in the vehicle while Marshburn looked for and found Lucas. When Glass realized Marshburn discovered the little boy, she reportedly didn’t cry or display any emotion. She then claimed she did Lucas “so wrong” but didn’t elaborate, never admitting she hurt Lucas in any way.

“You don’t give two craps about your stepson you put under this bridge,” Marshburn said, referring to Glass. “All you care about is what’s going to happen to you.”

Differing timelines and stories also surfaced from Glass, according to Marshburn. From the time Lucas disappeared, Glass maintained that she took a nap at around 3:30 p.m. on February 17. She claimed she woke up a few hours later to find Lucas missing and the back door open. Yet, she reportedly told Marshburn that she discovered Lucas deceased in his bed on the morning of February 17.

“She said, ‘I went in his room and he was dead.’ I didn’t expect it to pop out that quickly, so I knew I had her by everything.”

Glass was later questioned by authorities and arrested for obstruction of law enforcement. She remains behind bars in the Sedgwick County Jail on $250,000 bond. More charges could follow, pending the results of Lucas’ autopsy.

**UPDATE**

Glass is scheduled to be released from jail on Wednesday afternoon after the Sedgwick County DA announced that there are no additional charges being filed at this time, pending final autopsy results.

The story continues to develop. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.

Further Reading

As FBI joins search for missing boy, 5, family members speak out about concerns over his past welfare

Exclusive: Dad pleads for return of missing boy, Lucas Hernandez, described as ‘shy and soft-spoken’

Stepmother of missing boy Lucas Hernandez arrested for child endangerment

Lucas Hernandez Update: Photos show bruises across missing boy’s face, back, arms; police say it’s now a criminal investigation

New tip leads to heavy police presence at creek area, in search of missing boy Lucas Hernandez

Lucas Hernandez Update: Police call off park searches as quest to find missing little boy enters day 10

Five parks searched, still no sign of missing little boy: Where is Lucas Hernandez?

‘I would never hurt my son!’: Stepmother of missing boy Lucas Hernandez speaks out from jail [Video]

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Lucas Hernandez Update: Missing boy’s dad says he stands by stepmom, who remains in jail on child endangerment charge