Missing 10-year-old found dead in pond after sleepwalking out of his home, police say

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) - The search for a 10-year-old Missouri boy who is believed to have walked out of his home while sleepwalking came to a heartbreaking end when his body was found in a pond.

Kansas City Police said first responders found the body of 10-year-old Jackson S. Georgari, in a pond near Briarcliff Village, a shopping and dining area, just after noon Thursday.

Jackson had last been seen just before midnight Wednesday at his home in the Briarcliff area. Police said the 10-year-old walked out of the home while sleepwalking, which he was known to do.

Police said it wasn’t yet know if Jackson was sleepwalking when he drowned or if there were weather impacts.

“It hurts in your community when you have a kid that goes out in the middle of the night and whatever the circumstances were that led to him ending up in there,” KCPD Capt. Jake Becchina said.

Police and rescue teams used drones and several other resources to find Jackson, who had no diagnosed medical conditions.

“You feel for the family involved in this. It’s unimaginable. I can’t even imagine,” Becchina said. “They went to bed last night, and everything was normal. Now, today, they have to deal with this.”

Estela Yslas, who has lived in the neighborhood for 40 years, spent her morning searching for the 10-year-old.

“When I came out of the driveway, the police was in the neighborhood of the cul-de-sac. I asked them, ‘Do you have a picture of the little baby boy?’ They said, ‘Yeah,’ and they gave me his picture on the phone,” Yslas said.

Neighbor Heather Meikenhous also joined the search after a morning appointment.

“I had an appointment this morning, right after the police had left. I thought, ‘Well, maybe I’ll be lucky and find him.’ But he may have already been passed by that,” Meikenhous said.

Police spoke with nearby homeowners, including Meikenhous, asking them to check security footage.

“It was dark, and there was nothing during the day. So, it didn’t show up on my doorbell,” Meikenhous said.

She said her heart went out to Jackson’s family.

“It’s just so sad. My heart goes out for his parents. Please, please get peace. I wish you the best,” she said.

Yslas also shared a message for the family.

“I would like to tell them that I prayed for them, and I’m so sorry for their loss. I prayed that they will find him but not like that,” she said.

Police said a death investigation is underway. There were no immediate signs of foul play.

The medical examiner will determine Jackson’s cause and manner of death at the end of the investigation.