Authorities: Skeletal remains believed to be 2-year-old Arizona boy missing since July 24

Skeletal remains believed to be missing Ariz. boy

RIMROCK, Ariz. — Skeletal remains found Tuesday near a central Arizona campground are believed to be that of a toddler reported missing in the area more than two weeks ago, and authorities say foul play is suspected.

The remains were found at the bottom of a wash less than 2 miles from the Beaver Creek Campground, where 2-year-old Sylar Newton of Flagstaff was last seen the night of July 24, Yavapai County sheriff’s spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn said.

The body likely came to a rest there because of recent flash flooding, D’Evelyn said.

He said foul play is suspected and a criminal investigation is under way. No suspects have been named.

D’Evelyn released no further details, such as cause of death, but an autopsy will be conducted.

It’s the second time this month that a 2-year-old boy has been found dead in Yavapai County, but authorities say the cases are unrelated. The body of Emmett Trapp was found in a mine pit Aug. 4, two days after he wandered away from home.

Sylar was staying at the campground near Rimrock with his custodial mother and her family when he was reported missing. Rimrock is about 40 miles south of Flagstaff.

The investigation took a grim turn last week when D’Evelyn said investigators didn’t believe Sylar wandered off on his own, as his custodial mother said, but was taken from the area and feared dead.

“It’s going to take some time to sort all of this out,” D’Evelyn said Tuesday.

A dayslong search of the campsite area, including landfills and trash bins, turned up no sign of the boy.

Authorities still are looking into custodial issues involving Sylar, the woman who was caring for him, and his biological mother.

Matt Gramelspacher, a friend who answered the phone at the Jasper, Ind., home of Sylar’s biological mother, Charity Newton, said Tuesday she was not able to answer questions and directed all queries to law enforcement.

In the other case, authorities said 2-year-old Emmett Trapp walked 3 miles barefoot through brush and steep terrain into a mine pit, where he was found dead. He was still clad in the pajama top and diaper he was wearing when he wandered away from his home two days earlier.

Emmett’s mother told authorities she and her four children were at home in Dewey-Humboldt — about 85 miles north of Phoenix — when she awoke from a nap Monday night and couldn’t find Emmett.

The boy apparently had wandered off with the family dog, but the dog returned when called.