Dad told in-laws he was taking son for a hike. Both found dead on Appalachian Trail
A 2-year-old was found dead in a ravine along the Appalachian Trail, and his father’s body wasn’t far away, Maryland police said.
Sean Thomson, 34, picked up his son Thursday night from his in-laws’ house near Boonsboro, Maryland, police said. He told them he was taking the toddler hiking.
After his wife learned of their whereabouts, she rushed to a parking lot along the Appalachian Trail where she found Thomson’s car abandoned.
“She contacted police and reported her son and husband missing,” Maryland State Police said in a news release. “She expressed concern because she said her husband had been despondent lately.”
Police immediately started a search for the father and son, looking for hours.
About 3 a.m. Friday, officials found 2-year-old Dawson’s body in a ravine about a mile from the car. An hour later, they found Thomson’s body and a knife at the scene.
Officials said their bodies had “obvious trauma,” and they are investigating the incident as a murder-suicide. Police didn’t indicate a motive, and the family was living together at the time.
Tourists find dying woman who plunged 80 feet from canyon in Utah’s Zion National Park
Body of hiker missing for 10 days found in Joshua Tree desert, officials say
You can safely hike Appalachian Trail again after pandemic pause. Here’s what to know
