The Boston Herald May 18, 2011
Navy joins investigation into death of unknown boy in Maine
By Jessica Heslam
The U.S. Navy’s elite police unit is now involved in the heart-rending case of the dead boy found in Maine — after authorities revealed yesterday that a Navy emblem was spotted on the license plate of a pickup truck seen near the remote dumping ground.
“The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that they are concerned that there may be Navy personnel involved,” said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org.
The lifeless body of the towheaded boy — whom authorities are tirelessly trying to identify — was found on a rural road Saturday evening in South Berwick.
A resident saw a woman behind the wheel of a blue Toyota Tacoma pickup truck Saturday morning — before the grim discovery was made, authorities said.
Maine State Police Lt. Brian McDonough said the witness saw “some type of naval insignia embossed in or around” the license plate, prompting investigators to begin visiting every area Naval Reserve center.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service — made famous by the CBS TV drama “NCIS” — is also involved.
“It’s more intuition probably than anything, but we’re really starting to wonder if the individual involved with this truck is a member of the military,” McDonough said at a press conference yesterday.
Pike said NCIS brings more “shoe leather” to the table.
“The local police only have a finite number of people to put on this case,” Pike said. “Everywhere the Navy is, NCIS is — so they have national coverage in a way that a local jurisdiction would not.”
Authorities also released a photo of the sneakers the boy was wearing — a brand new pair of size-12 1⁄2 black Velcro sneakers sporting the race car character “Lightning McQueen” from the Disney movie “Cars.”
The child, whose 45-pound body was covered with a green fleece blanket, appeared to have been well-cared for before his death, which authorities are calling “highly suspicious.”
“He was clean. His fingernails seemed clean and appropriate,” McDonough said. “He was a small kid, but I don’t think he was undernourished. He was a very cute boy. He was clothed well. The sneakers are virtually brand new.”
More than 200 tips from across the country have poured in over the past few days, and more than a dozen detectives are working the case, McDonough said.
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