Jacob Caldwell, a teen missing since witnessing his father's shooting death in August 2017 has been located, according to Sugarcreek Township, Ohio, police. Caldwell was found living in the basement of a Miami Township home where four adults were also found residing, according to Sugarcreek Township Police Chief Michael Brown.
Brown said his department received a call on Monday from a female who said she had information about where to find Jacob. The tip led to a search warrant being executed at a Miami Township home around 11:30 p.m. Monday.
“Four adults were inside, and we found Jacob in the basement,” Brown said. “That appeared to be his primary area of sleeping.”
Jacob was taken directly to the Greene County Juvenile Detention Center, where he is being held on an unruly charge from a previous runaway incident in Beavercreek, Ohio, Brown said.
The four adults are associates of the family of Jacob’s mother, Tawnney Caldwell, who is in jail facing a potential capital murder charge in relation to Robert Caldwell's death, Brown said, adding that two of the four adults provided useful information for the investigation.
Jacob witnessed the shooting death with his two siblings.
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According to police, it does not appear that Jacob was held against his will.
“We always felt that he was fine ... We had a really strong feeling that it was a family member who was involved in him being missing,” Brown said.
“It was our understanding that he was not outside much. He’s gone a year without school. He’s gone a year without socializing with friends,” Brown said. “There was no evidence of him being secured or locked in. I think he could have roamed throughout the house, if he wished.”
Brown said authorities will be pursuing charges against the adults who may have helped Jacob disappear.
Surveillance video recorded the night Jacob disappeared showed the him standing in front of a local Walmart, where he may have been picked up by someone in a pre-arranged meeting.
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