Who Is Jonathon Minard? New Details On The Ohio Boy Found In Shallow Grave
Jonathon Minard vanished on April 13. Now police have found his body.
Carroll County Sheriff's Office A frantic search for a teenager in Carroll County, Ohio has ended in tragedy. 14-year-old Jonathon Minard disappeared from a dairy farm where he was helping a friend care for the animals on April 13th. He said he was going to call his mother but but he was never heard from again. Six days later, police found his body in a shallow grave. The police are releasing very few details about the circumstances of Jonathon’s death and the investigation into what happened to him. At this point, all the sheriff has shared is that an autopsy is pending and it will be weeks before they have the results to share with the public. Who is Jonathon Minard?
1. Disappearance
Jonathon had allegedly been helping a friend on a farm owned by the friend’s father. The friend, who is 29-years-old, said Jonathon had been helping him milk cows at the farm in New Harrisburg, Ohio before saying he had a toothache and wanted to call him mom. The man then told investigators that he accompanied the teen to his house to make the call. Jonathon’s mother never received a call and the boy was not seen again.
Jonathan's cause of death is unknown.
2. Search
The search for Jonathan was extensive, starting with efforts to make sure he hadn’t been struck by a car while walking along a nearby roadway. The search ultimately included hundreds of law enforcement officers and volunteers, as well as drones, fixed aircraft and other equipment. The Sheriff’s office posted thanks to everyone in the area who volunteered their time to search in Facebook post on April 20, after Jonathon’s body had been found.
The community pulled together to help.
3. Person of interest
The man who last saw Jonathon hasn’t been named by authorities, but he is considered a person of interest in the case. He allegedly has a criminal record. But nothing in his past is a violent act, he was mainly convicted in drug related offenses.
Police have identified a person of interest.
4. Grim discovery
On April 19, police made a statement confirming the worst in this case. “At 10:15am on this day April 19, 2019, the body of missing juvenile Jonathon E. Minard was recovered from a farm in Washington Township in Carroll County where he was buried in a shallow grave,” said Carroll County Sheriff Dale Williams. He went on to say that the department is awaiting autopsy results and said “The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office will continue to gather evidence until the investigation is complete. We ask that the public and media respect the Minard family’s space and privacy at this time.” Information from the autopsy isn’t expected to be back for several weeks.
Police have shared very little about Jonathon's death.
5. Warm memories
Jonathon’s family shared their memories of the teen in a heartfelt obituary on a local funeral home website, saying “He was an energetic, outgoing and often ornery young man who prided himself on making his family the target of numerous good natured pranks ... for instance, he would make a habit of placing silly "selfies" on his Grandpa Jon's work phone. He could often be seen riding his bicycle through the Village of Dellroy where he would on many occasions stop and visit with friends and neighbors. It was his nature to help people whenever needed, and he enjoyed the companionship of animals.”
Jonathan was well liked.
6. Community in shock
Neighbors are stunned at this terrible turn of events. Carroll County resident Bill Burrier told WJW-TV: “We were hoping he ran away or something; that’s what we were hoping for but that wasn’t the case.” Another area resident, Terry Cheuvron said: “Everybody’s in shock, I think everybody is saddened, we feel for the family and we just want to see the person who did it pay for it.” Even the sheriff admits that he has been struggling with the emotional impact of this investigation, saying that he had been having trouble sleeping since the boy went missing, ““We’re talking about a 14-year-old, this kid didn’t hurt anybody, he isn’t a boy who gets into a lot of trouble,” Sheriff Williams said. “It’s something that really works on you.”
The sheriff isn't sharing details that would jeopardize the investigation.
The sheriff’s office hasn’t released any information since the statement on April 19. The autopsy results are still pending at this time. The family continues to ask for privacy at this difficult moment for them.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog Stay at Home Pundit and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.