Investigators with the FBI’s Texas City office and the Galveston Police Department continue to ask for the public’s help in the case of a boy whose body was found on a Galveston beach almost two months ago.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the identification and location of the family members caring for "Little Jacob."
The body of the boy, who investigators believe may be age 3 to 5, was found on a Galveston beach Oct. 20. Nothing has been ruled out, including accidental death.
“It’s heartbreaking that no one has come forward to identify this boy or offer any clues as to what happened to him,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ed Michel of the FBI Houston field office.
“Our focus continues to be on identifying the family of ‘Little Jacob,’” said Galveston Police Captain Josh Schirard. "Someone has to know who they are, who ‘Little Jacob’ is and what happened to him."
Investigators believe sometime on or around Oct. 18, the family members caring for the boy may have provided a plausible explanation for the child’s whereabouts -- such as, staying with family or friends out of the area. The explanation may have also indicated that the child would be away from the family’s care for an extended period of time.
Before the boy’s disappearance, the family members caring for the child may have indicated that the child caused additional stress on the caregivers due to the child’s health or behavioral issues.
“Our hope is that we solve Little Jacob’s mystery in time for Christmas. We may be asking for a Christmas miracle, but I believe in miracles,” said Special Agent Richard Rennison, who is assisting the Galveston Police Department in the case.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for the successful identification and location of the family members caring for this young boy at the time of his disappearance. Anyone with information should call 1-800-CALL-FBI or 1-800-225-5324.