Coroner releases ID of child who died after being found at Cherokee Park (WHAS-11, Louisville, KY)
UPDATE: Murdered boy's name released; family is homeless (WAVE-3, Louisville, KY)
The coroner later released the child's name - Ray Etheridge - but did not release the cause of death.
Passersby discovered Etheridge near the Scenic Loop around 4 p.m. and called 911.
"We do know that he sustained some type of injuries, but specifically what those injuries were from and how they occurred is still under investigation at this point. So because of that our homicide unit is treating this as a death investigation, LMPD public information officer Alicia Smiley said.
UPDATE: Murdered boy's name released; family is homeless (WAVE-3, Louisville, KY)
Ray Allen Etheridge, 12, was pronounced dead at Kosair Children's Hospital at 5:34 p.m. on Tuesday. His mother confirmed to the coroner that the family is homeless.
"This case is being investigated as a murder," said Lt. Todd Kessinger of Louisville Metro Police during a Wednesday morning news briefing. "We have made a positive identification on the juvenile. We have made contact with his family."
Kessinger said investigators believe Etheridge was fatally injured in the area Cherokee Park where he was found between 4 and 5 p.m. on Tuesday -- a wooded area near Hogan's Fountain Pavilion.
"From the evidence that we can see, we think that the injuries happened at that location."
Kessinger refused to release a cause of death, but police indicated on Tuesday that Etheridge suffered some type of chest wound.