In connection with the death of an 8-year-old boy who drowned in a “borrow pit” earlier this year, two Georgian minors were taken into custody this week.
Authorities said that the juvenile suspects, who are 10 and 11 years old, have been brought into custody and are facing several charges related to Noah Bush’s death.
The 11-year-old was charged with one count of criminal trespass, involuntary manslaughter, concealing another person’s death, and simple violence. The 10-year-old was accused of criminal trespass and hiding the death of another person.
Georgia state law prohibits the public revelation of the minor defendants’ names.
The CBS affiliate in Savannah, Georgia, WTOC, stated that Noah’s family had initially reported him missing on May 15, 2024. Before the child’s body was found on May 16 inside a borrow pit at a nearby construction site, the search for him apparently continued for over 11 hours.
A hole excavated in the ground to supply fill material for building projects is called a borrow pit.
The child took off his shoes and into the water where there was a “no trespassing” sign, but local law enforcement officials claimed their first inquiry did not yield any evidence of foul play in the immediate wake of the boy’s terrible drowning.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office did, however, stress that the autopsy report’s findings were still being reviewed by investigators. That study, which was turned over to the sheriff’s office on Monday, concluded that Noah drowned and that his mode of death was homicide.
According to a news release from the sheriff’s office sent to Savannah ABC affiliate WJCL, “this finding was based on the fact that one of the two juveniles whom were with Noah pushed him into the deep portion of the borrow pit they were wading in.”
Noah “thought they were friends and trustworthy,” according to Noah’s family’s attorneys, who also claimed that Noah knew both of the boys he was with that evening. They suggested that Noah might have gotten into a fight with the young defendants, who then purposefully kept his head underwater.
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Additionally, the lawyers allegedly stated that they thought adults tried to hide the crime.
“The adults who helped to conceal and obstruct the investigation, and who instead of telling the truth became co-participants in this tragedy need to be held accountable,” the attorneys stated. “The adults involved lied. We won’t stop until you’re held accountable for your actions.”
The attorneys’ sentiments were shared by Noah’s family, who in the 55 days after his body was found had reportedly led many demonstrations calling for justice for Noah.
“The whole entire tragedy has been tough on my family. I just want to say thank you so much to the community. If it weren’t for you standing by my side helping me to continue on; to push for justice. We wouldn’t have gotten as far as we have,” Demetrice Bush, Noah’s mother, stated. “There will be no peace until justice is served.”
