Unidentified boy found in a suitcase will get a funeral and burial next week
More than a month after his body was found in a wooded area in Southern Indiana, a little boy whose name is still unknown will be laid to rest next week thanks to donations from the local community.
The service and interment in Salem, Indiana, are being planned by the Washington County Sheriff's Department and have been made possible through multiple donations, according to Todd Murphy, the department's chaplain.
"This little boy wasn't respected in life and we, Washington County, want to make sure he's respected in death," Murphy said.
More headlines: Why were U.S. Marshals serving a police warrant on Omari Cryer?
The unidentified child, who is Black and believed to be about 5 years old, was found April 16 in the 7000 block of East Holder Road in Washington County, about 70 miles south of Indianapolis and 25 miles northwest of Louisville.
His body was inside a closed hard-shell suitcase that had the words "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" painted on it.
He is approximately 4 feet tall, has a slim build and a short haircut. Investigators believe the child's death occurred sometime within the week before he was found.
"This has really impacted our community," Murphy said about the little boy's discovery.
More than 500 tips have come in, Indiana State Police Sgt. Casey Huls said Thursday, but none have led to answers.
An autopsy of the boy was completed within the week he was found, but a definitive cause of death had not yet been confirmed, Huls said at the time.
"Results of the toxicology report are still pending, and investigators are hopeful that information will shed more light on the cause of death," a release from state police stated.
No other details have been released since.
From Ap: A child's body was found in a suitcase near the woods in Southern Indiana. What we know.
The funeral service will be at Weathers Funeral Home in Salem at 11 a.m. Wednesday, followed by his burial at Crown Hill Cemetery.
All expenses of the service have been covered, Murphy said.
"It's been incredible," he said. "He's been adopted by the county. We want to make sure he's properly cared for and properly laid to rest."
Anyone with information about the case or the boy's identity is asked to call 1-888-437-6432.
Contact reporter Krista Johnson at kjohnson3@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Funeral planned for unnamed little boy found in suitcase in Indiana
