Darnell Gray: Missing 4-year-old found dead nearly a week after his disappearance, cops suspect foul play

Authorities in Missouri say the search for a missing 4-year-old boy is over after his remains were found Tuesday in Jefferson City.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Darnell Gray vanished sometime after he went to bed late Wednesday night.

In the days since, authorities and volunteers have canvassed the neighborhood in an effort to located the missing boy.

Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies joined forces with fire and emergency personnel to coordinate the search.

Gray’s body was reportedly found in an area that had not yet been searched, but that Jefferson City Police Lt. David Williams said had been identified as a location of interest, as reported by KOMU.

Williams said the grim discovery changed the trajectory of the department’s investigation.

“Foul play was not suspected until we found Darnell’s body,” he said, going on to stipulate that the boy’s death was “not of his own accord.”

The preliminary announcement did not provide additional details regarding the cause or manner of his death.

After the police announced his body had been found, mourners joined at Washington Park for a vigil in his memory.

Mayor Carrie Tergin issued a statement on social media offering prayers for those impacted and declaring that she was “beyond sad that our community has lost a precious little boy Darnell who is now a sweet Angel.”

Williams confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing and that no arrests had been made in connection with the death.

He said that “at this point, there is no one that we are not looking at through our process.”

[Featured Image: Darnell Gray/Jefferson City Police Department]