Found Deceased PA - Wyatt Thomas Smitsky, 4, Georgetown, 4 Sept 2009

momtective · #1 09-05-2009, 01:17 PM

http://www.helpfindmychild.net/wyatt-smitsky

Wyatt was last seen at home on September 4, 2009. He was last seen wearing a brown military-type t-shirt, blue denim shorts and Spiderman flip flops. Wyatt has a congenital-heart defect requiring medication.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
or Pennsylvania State Police Beaver Station 1-724-773-7400

momtective · #2 09-05-2009, 01:19 PM

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/...20/detail.html
Wyatt Thomas Smitsky, who has a congenital heart defect that requires medication, disappeared while playing outside his home in the 600 block of Georgetown Road in Greene Township early Friday evening. Police said they think he may have wandered off and got lost at about 6:30 p.m. Authorities received a call for the missing child at about 7:30 p.m.

A relative told WTAE Channel 4's Bob Mayo on Saturday morning that Wyatt had been outside playing with his 3-year-old and 6-year-old sisters. When the children's mother called them in for dinner, the girls came home, but Wyatt did not. The relative said the girls told their mother that Wyatt went under a "sticky fence."

dreamweaver · #3 09-05-2009, 01:26 PM

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/...20/detail.html
Wyatt found. He was found in a neighboring septic tank.
Father is being questioned, not called suspect.

Oh, the poor boy.
He is with the angels now.

momtective · #4 09-05-2009, 01:30 PM

bogeygal · #5 09-05-2009, 01:34 PM

RIP Wyatt.

I hope we learn soon what really happened.

Adrienne37 · #6 09-05-2009, 01:45 PM

Bless his heart. Prayers to Wyatt's family.

jashrema · #7 09-05-2009, 01:54 PM

They say they're questioning the father, but not calling him suspect. they have someone "in custody" but aren't saying who it is...what's going on here. Why would they question the father if they already have someone in custody?

Adrienne37 · #8 09-05-2009, 02:28 PM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_641804.html

A young boy who was said to have wandered away from his home was found this afternoon stuffed in a septic tank, state police said, and his father is a suspect.

Lagoon later said the boy's father was the suspect. The father is in custody and being questioned.

"It's a sad situation. We don't know all of the facts yet," Lagoon said.

KaylynnCouture · #9 09-05-2009, 02:33 PM

This is horrible. I'm SO sick of hearing about children dying..at the hands of the people who they trust the most.

Rest in Peace Wyatt.

SuziQ · #10 09-05-2009, 02:40 PM

RIP Wyatt

I just saw this on CNN.com and came here because I knew you guys would have this up. The circumstances do seem odd. It's been awhile since I've lived in an area with septic tanks. Aren't the lids pretty secure? There was a similar case a year or so back that was determined to be an accident.

SuziQ · #11 09-05-2009, 02:42 PM

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/...20/detail.html

(snip)
Shortly before 1 p.m., a relative told Mayo that Wyatt's body had been found. At about 1:15 p.m., state police said Wyatt's body was found in the septic system of a neighboring home. State police said authorities are questioning the boy's father, but he has not been named as a suspect.

Mayo said police are consulting with the district attorney about possible charges against the unidentified person in custody.

momtective · #12 09-05-2009, 02:45 PM

Just heard the sad news...I'm so pi$$ed about this. I'm so sick of these little ones being found dead. I'm so sick of deranged and irresponsible parents. Danmit I'm sick of it!

Sorry--needed to vent.

Wyatt, you precious little man, I'm so very sorry your life ended so soon. The world will never know all that you had to offer. Bless you little guy, rest in the arms of the Lord.

SuziQ · #13 09-05-2009, 02:55 PM

Interesting is that the parents demeanor from the beginning was aloof. Was mom involved as well?

Missing 4-Year-Old Boy's Death Ruled Homicide

http://kdka.com/beaver/Missing.Boy.G...2.1165498.html

(snip)
The tank had apparently been tampered with in some way and the case is now being ruled a homicide.

The boy's father has been ruled as a suspect at this time and has been taken into custody on pending homicide charges.

PMLsmom · #14 09-05-2009, 04:11 PM

I just don't understand any of this...Why would the "dad" kill his son, but not the daughters? Maybe his illness "cost" too much? To much work to take care of him???

I am just so sick of all of these children being killed by so-called parents/caretakers!

I really need to take a break from WS, but yet I still come here - to pray for the little ones...

SuziQ · #15 09-05-2009, 06:55 PM

More detailed info at the below link:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09248/995905-100.stm

SuziQ · #16 09-05-2009, 08:45 PM

This is confusing.

http://kdka.com/beaver/Missing.Boy.G...2.1165498.html

(snip)
Investigators told Guidotti that there were suspicions that this was not just a lost child case from nearly the beginning of the search.

"We're treating this, right now, as a homicide situation," added Lagoon.

The boy's father, John T. Smitsky, 29, was taken into custody after the body was found. Officials say he was questioned by police and has now been released.

According to sources close to the investigation, the boy's father was described as 'aloof' and 'disinterested' during initial questioning.

The Beaver County Coroner says the case is under investigation and an autopsy is planned for sometime Sunday.

SuziQ · #17 09-05-2009, 08:48 PM

http://www.wpxi.com/news/20735616/detail.html

(snips)
State police announced in a press conference on Saturday that they have questioned family and neighbors of the boy. An attorney for the boy's father said that his client was released from police custody and he has not been charged at this time.

Police have not named a specific person, but they did say that someone will be charged with homicide following the conclusion of an autopsy scheduled for Sunday.
******

His exact cause of his death has not been determined, but police do not believe Wyatt Smitsky could have uncovered the lid to the septic tank by himself

SuziQ · #18 09-06-2009, 11:27 AM

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/...20/detail.html

(snip)
"We believe he could not have gotten into that septic tank without being put there," state police Lt. Thomas Dubovi said. "He could not have removed that heavy lid that goes on that septic tank by himself."

Video: Watch Ashlie Hardway's Report

State police said the lid looked tampered with, and, somehow, the lid was back in place after the boy's body was inside.

SuziQ · #19 09-06-2009, 11:36 AM

(snip)
At a news conference late in the afternoon, Lt. Thomas Dubovi said investigators began to suspect Friday night that they weren't dealing with a child who was lost but one who had been harmed.
"There was information that wasn't matching ... there was suspicion something was wrong here."

And when Wyatt was found, their skepticism was validated.
"It was a missing person investigation originally, but due to where the child was found, it [became] a homicide investigation," Lt. Dubovi said. "We believe he could not have gone into that septic tank without being put there. He could not move the heavy lid of that septic tank by himself."
Additionally, he said, the lid of the tank had been moved back in place, closing the opening.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09249/996037-57.stm#ixzz0QLDKEYRW

SuziQ · #20 09-06-2009, 01:44 PM

After an investigation led by state police, the FBI and the district attorney's office, authorities have announced that charges will be filed in the death of a 4-year-old child found dead after an extensive search in Beaver County.

Wyatt Smitsky, of Greene Township, who was reported missing since Friday afternoon, was discovered in the septic tank of a neighboring house Saturday morning.

State police announced in a press conference on Saturday that they have questioned family and neighbors of the boy. An attorney for the boy's father said that his client was released from police custody and he has not been charged at this time.

Police have not named a specific person, but they did say that someone will be charged with homicide following the conclusion of an autopsy scheduled for 9 a.m. Sunday.

More at link:
http://www.wpxi.com/news/20735616/detail.html

SuziQ · #21 09-06-2009, 04:14 PM

Coroner: Four-Year-Old's Cause Of Death Unknown

The county coroner performed an autopsy of Wyatt Smitsky, but the results were inconclusive. Full Story ››

RAW VIDEO: State Police Press Conference
RAW VIDEO: Father's Attorney Answers Questions
RAW VIDEO: Septic Tank Where Boy's Body Was Found

SuziQ · #22 09-06-2009, 04:19 PM

LE has been comparing the septic tank lid to the big manhole lids. In the video I posted above you can see how big the lid would have to be. I agree that there is no way that little boy took the lid off and then put it back on.

I guess the autopsy didn't show drowning. Even dry drowning would have shown up. I had wondered if maybe the lid was off for some reason, and the boy fell in and drowned. And the owner, either unbenownst to him, or out of fear of being blamed, put the lid back on.

SuziQ · #23 09-07-2009, 12:26 AM

Vigil Held To Remember Beaver County Boy

A vigil is held at a Beaver County church Sunday for Wyatt Smitsky. Full Story ››

RAW VIDEO: Vigil Held For Wyatt Smitsky

jashrema · #24 09-07-2009, 01:37 AM

Still confused on what LE keeps saying. That they are filing homicide charges, they have a suspect, but then they also say father was released as suspect....LE has not released, to my knowledge, the name of any person of interest..

pittsburghgirl · #25 09-08-2009, 01:59 AM

Here is the Beaver County]coroner, on doing more tests:

Quote:

"We want to do more tests. The cause and manner will be pending until they're done,'' said Ms. Tatalovich-Rossi, declining to provide a time frame for the tests. Tissue sampling is among the work that remains.
The death is being investigated by state police in Brighton. The child is the son of John and Terri Smitsky and has two sisters, ages 3 and 6.

So, insofar as the coroner is concerned, cause and manner are "pending." That may just mean that they know or think they know and what the lab evidence nailed down before they move forward.

The best news is that the PA state police are handling the case.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09249...#ixzz0QUXyQOKH