HOUSTON—
Tuesday brought possible new developments in the case of a missing 12-year-old boy from northwest Houston.A child's body was found Tuesday, burned beyond recognition, and medical examiners were working to try to find out if the body is that of Jonathan Foster.
A vigil was also held in the child's honor tonight with some of his family members holding out hope that he will be found alive.
Those hopes dashed early this morning when the burned body was found in a ditch off the Hardy Toll Road near Tidwell in northeast Houston.
Texas Equusearch organizers and volunteers suspended their search for Jonathan when they heard about the discovery of the body. It was burned so badly that the person who found it thought it was charred debris.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Science could not tell the gender of the body Tuesday. Only DNA evidence can help them determine the gender and identity of the child.
A surveillance camera from a business overlooking the ditch where the body was found could bring clues as well, officials said.
About 100 people turned out for the vigil Tuesday evening, but the group did not include Jonathan's parents. They were at Houston Police Department headquarters downtown, meeting with detectives.
Authorities said that everyone close to Jonathan, including his parents and babysitter, are considered persons of interest in this case.
Anyone with information about the disappearance of Jonathan or the identity of the body is urged to call HPD Homicide at (713) 308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS.
