Boy, 7, found dead in washing machine hours after going missing
A seven-year-old boy reported missing has been found dead just hours later inside a washing machine.
The child, named by police as Troy Khoeler, was announced missing by Texas authorities shortly before 6.30am on Thursday (local time).
Police were called to a family's home in the Houston suburb of Spring an hour earlier after noticing Troy had vanished about 4am.
After an extensive search of the property and local area, Troy's body was discovered inside a top-loader washing machine inside the family's garage, NBC DFW reported.
“We don’t know what happened," Lieutenant Robert Minchew with Harris County Sheriff’s Office told reporters, saying there was no sign of forced entry into the property.
Before the discovery, police had made a desperate appeal on social media to help find Troy.
"He was last seen wearing a blue shirt and pants, has a small afro hair style," a plea on Twitter read.
The boy's adopted parents have both been detained by police and will be interviewed separately.
KPRC news footage shows the mother crying as she is taken away by police.
They had adopted Troy in 2019. His school said his death was a "great loss" for the community.
A criminal investigation into his death is ongoing.
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