Boy, 5, found dead in septic tank at his home in Pulaski - Richmond.com

DUBLIN — The search for missing 5-year-old Noah Terry Thomas came to a heartbreaking conclusion on Thursday afternoon after Noah’s body was found in a septic tank on the parents’ property.

While authorities had previously said the family’s house and the immediate surrounding area had been searched at least three times with nothing suspicious found, “a more detailed and aggressive search” was conducted and Noah’s body was discovered. It is unclear what led them to empty the septic tank.

Pulaski County Sheriff Jim Davis said that currently, no one is in custody. Noah’s body will be transported to the medical examiner’s office in Roanoke where an autopsy will determine a cause of death.

“The parents continue to cooperate with authorities during this tragic time,” Davis said.

Officials roped off the Thomas house as FBI agents and evidence recovery teams came and went on Thursday.

According to a man who said he has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years, every house has a septic tank. Almost all of the septic tanks on the street are 4 to 5 feet underground.

Throughout the investigation, Noah’s parents — Ashley Jennifer White, 31, and Paul Raymond Thomas, 32 — have been under intense public scrutiny. As the fifth day of searching got underway, they had yet to make a statement, speak to media or designate a spokesperson.

But Noah’s aunt and uncle, Katherine Ide and Jason Thomas, were at a recent news conference and broke down, saying that “No one loved Noah more than Paul and Ashley.”

Ide said her nephew was outgoing, had a great laugh and was best friends with his father.

“You don’t get into a septic tank by accident. Someone’s going to pay,” Thomas said.

Sheriff Davis said repeatedly in the early morning news conference Thursday that the parents were “extremely distraught” and had been “extremely cooperative.” Davis said they had sought legal advice but that a lawyer had not been with them during questioning.

According to previous statements, Noah was last seen Sunday morning watching cartoons around 8 or 8:15 a.m. by his mother. His mother then went to take a nap with their infant child and awoke around 10:35 to see that Noah was missing.

Crews began searching shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday and had been operating nonstop. Dozens of agencies helped, including the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children division, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the Virginia State Police.

When asked if search warrants had been filed in Noah’s disappearance, an assistant clerk at Pulaski County Circuit Court replied “everything in that case has been sealed.”

While it was initially believed that Noah may have wandered off, Davis and other authorities said they never ruled out the possibility that Noah had been abducted. Now that Noah’s body has been found, it is unclear how the investigation will proceed.