8 New Details About The Boy Who Went Missing After Witnessing His Dad's Murder — And Why The FBI Is Offering A $15K Reward To Find Him
He watched his father get shot to death.
FBI An Ohio teen has been missing since his father was shot and killed last August.
Jacob Caldwell, 14, was reported missing by his grandmother and it is believed he ran away.
Six people, most of them family members or former family members, were arrested Tuesday in connection to the death of Jacob’s father, Robert Caldwell.
The FBI considers Jacob an endangered missing person because he witnessed a crime and is offering a cash reward for any information that leads to his whereabouts.
Here is everything you need to know about the missing 14-year-old boy:
1. He witnessed his father get fatally shot.
Jacob was present when his father, Robert Caldwell, was gunned down in a parking lot in Riverside, Ohio, last August.
He went missing after Robert’s funeral six days later.
2. His dad called 911 two weeks before his death.
According to ABC 22, Robert made a distressed 911 call Aug. 5, just days before he was murdered.
"Yeah I have got a guy chasing me over here on Sutton in Jamestown, and he just tried to lure me, I'm assuming he's trying to kill me," Robert told dispatchers.
He went on to say that he knew the man chasing him and that he may be armed.
"His name is Sterling Roberts, he's my ex-wife's boyfriend, and they just lost full custody of all our kids," Robert said.
3. He has been missing since Aug. 21, 2017.
According to the FBI, the circumstances surrounding Jacob’s disappearance are not clear, but it is believed he ran away.
"We did see him in front of the Walmart, walking around. It gives us an impression that he was waiting for a ride," Chief Michael Brown of the Sugarcreek Township Police said.
He is blonde with blue eyes and was approximately 5-foot-2-inches tall at the time of his disappearance. He was last seen wearing a dark shirt, blue shorts, and black shoes.
4. His mother hasn’t been involved at all in finding him.
Tawnney Caldwell has not aided or been involved at all in the search for her missing son, WDTN reports.
"I could not even count how many times we have reached out to her in terms of phone calls and as far as visiting her house in the area," Brown said.
5. Police believe he had help running away.
Brown said that it is believed the 14-year-old had help running away, but no leads have been found on a suspect, WDTN reports.
"I don't know. I guess anybody could be a suspect at this point,” he said. “I'm not going to go into that part of our investigation."
Anyone found to have assisted Jacob in disappearing could face charges, Brown said.
6. He may have changed his identity.
Dayton Daily News reports that Jacob may not be in Ohio and that it is possible he changed his look and identity to remain hidden.
Authorities believe that someone knows where the teen is but has not come forward with the information.
7. Six people were arrested in connection with Robert’s murder.
Five people along with Robert’s ex-wife, Tawnney Caldwell, were arrested Tuesday after they were found to have a connection to the shooting, USA Today’s Cincinnati.com reports.
Sterling Roberts, 34, and Tawnney, 33, were charged with murder.
Tawnney’s mother and stepfather, James Harmon, 55, and Chandra Harmon, 54, have been accused of aiding and abetting Sterling Robert's illegal gun possession.
Sterling Robert’s half-brother, Chance Deakin, 25, and brother, Christopher Roberts, 30, were charged with aiding and abetting their brother's illegal gun possession.
8. There is a $15,000 reward for assisting in finding Jacob.
The FBI has offered $15,000 to anyone with information that leads directly to the location of the teen.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jacob Caldwell or knowledge of anyone involved in his father’s murder is urged to call Sugarcreek Township Police at 937-310-3200 or the FBI at 513-421-4310.