Gainesville woman charged with concealing her dead son's body in Arizona
Dec. 19—Update: A 54-year-old Gainesville woman has been charged with concealing her dead son's body four years after the 10-year-old's skeletal remains were found on the side of the road in Arizona.
Crystal Wilson, formerly of Buckeye, Arizona, was arrested Dec. 12 and will face a charge of abandonment or concealment of a dead body.
In July 2016, Wilson said her 10-year-old adoptive son, Jesse Wilson, ran away from home after putting him to bed.
Buckeye Police, volunteers and the FBI searched for the 10-year-old to no avail.
Jesse's skeletal remains were found March 8, 2018, on the side of a road in Arizona, according to a release from Buckeye Police.
Police said forensic officials could not determine the cause or manner of death.
A new investigator put fresh eyes on the case in November 2020, eventually submitting it to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review.
A grand jury in Maricopa County indicted Wilson Dec. 9 on one count of abandonment or concealment of a body.
After obtaining an arrest warrant, Buckeye Police collaborated with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Gainesville Police to take Wilson into custody.
Representatives from the Buckeye Police Department and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office declined to comment.
Gainesville Police Lt. Kevin Holbrook did not return calls for comment Monday, Dec. 19, and Tuesday, Dec. 20.
Jaime Medina, a family friend, started the "Justice for Jesse Wilson" Facebook page to maintain awareness and visibility of Jesse's case.
Though she was hoping for a more serious charge, Medina said she was happy that Crystal Wilson "is going to be accountable on some level."
Medina said Jesse was often described as a "happy, loving, sweet little boy."
"That's been the consensus of any teacher or any family member that knew him. ... He was quiet," Medina said. "He was shy, but he was curious."
Medina was unsure exactly when Crystal Wilson moved to Georgia.
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Previous story: A 54-year-old Gainesville woman has been charged with concealing her dead son's body four years after the 10-year-old's skeletal remains were found on the side of the road in Arizona.
Crystal Wilson, formerly of Buckeye, Arizona, was arrested Dec. 12 and will face a charge of abandonment or concealment of a dead body.
In July 2016, Wilson said her 10-year-old adoptive son, Jesse Wilson, ran away from home after putting him to bed.
Buckeye Police, volunteers and the FBI searched for the 10-year-old to no avail.
Jesse's skeletal remains were found March 8, 2018, on the side of a road in Arizona, according to a release from Buckeye Police.
Police said forensic officials could not determine the cause or manner of death.
A new investigator put fresh eyes on the case in November 2020, eventually submitting it to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review.
A grand jury in Maricopa County indicted Wilson Dec. 9 on one count of abandonment or concealment of a body.
After obtaining an arrest warrant, Buckeye Police collaborated with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Gainesville Police to take Wilson into custody.
Representatives from the Buckeye Police Department and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office declined to comment.
Gainesville Police Lt. Kevin Holbrook did not return calls for comment Monday, Dec. 19.
