SUGARCREEK TWP. — Jacob Caldwell, a teen missing since witnessing his father’s shooting death in August 2017 has been located, according to Sugarcreek Twp. police.
- Teen had been missing since witnessing father's shooting death in Riverside in 2017
- Police: Jacob found after search warrant at Miami Twp., Montgomery County home
- Investigators do not believe he was being held captive
UPDATE @ 11:55 a.m.:
Jacob Caldwell was found living in the basement of a Miami Twp. Home where four adults were also found residing, according to Sugarcreek Twp. Police Chief Michael Brown.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Billboards donated to help find teen missing since witnessing father’s murder
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The 15-year-old had not been seen since Aug. 21, 2017, six days after he witnessed the fatal shooting of his father, Robert Caldwell.
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Sugarcreek Twp. detectives had been working with the FBI in an effort to locate the teen.
Brown said his department received a call on Monday from a female who said she had information about where to find Jacob.
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Brown said the tip led to a search warrant being executed at a Miami Twp. home around 11:30 p.m. Monday.
"Four adults were inside, and we found Jacob in the basement. That appeared to be his primary area of sleeping," Brown said.
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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, Brown said.
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. He said two of the four adults provided useful information for the investigation.
Brown said Jacob's missing case was a daily priority for his department. The investigation involved daily contact with the FBI and two visits to Jacob's grandmother's home in Kentucky, he said.
"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.
Jacob appeared OK physically, and it does not appear that he was held against his will, 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 they will be pursuing charges against the adults who may have helped Jacob disappear.
Surveillance video recorded the night Jacob disappeared showed the teen standing in front of a local Walmart, where he may have been picked up by someone in a pre-arranged meeting.
FIRST REPORT:
Jacob Caldwell, a teen missing since since witnessing his father’s shooting death in August 2017 has been located, according to Sugarcreek Twp. police.
Jacob was found safe and unharmed overnight, police said, but additional details were not available from investigators.
The location of Caldwell comes just days after 10 digital billboards along Interstate 75 displayed Caldwell’s picture and identifying information were donated to help locate the teen.
Jacob disappeared two days after he and two of his younger brothers witnessed the shooting death of their father, Robert Caldwell, in a Riverside parking lot in August 2017.
Since Jacob’s disappearance, family members and law enforcement agencies have issued public pleas and rewards for information on his whereabouts.
Since Robert’s murder, six people, including his ex-wife have been indicted on charges connected to the shooting death.
This is a developing story and this news outlet is working with police and other agencies for more details. We’ll continue to update this story as we learn more.
