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When 12-year-old Charlie Bothuell V (pictured) disappeared on June 14th, he vanished without a trace. Friends, family, and the Detroit police searched frantically for the boy, scouring the city and fearing he might be dead. When Charlie was finally discovered unharmed Wednesday in his dad’s basement, everyone was thrown for a loop, questioning the absurdity of the bizarre situation, according to The Detroit News.

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Police state that Charlie had constructed a makeshift barricade in his dad’s basement made up of boxes and barrel drums, and there was a pile of bedding nearby as well.

Just 90 minutes before an official announcement to the press, declaring that the child could have possibly been murdered, police discovered the boy.

According to Chief James Craig, Charlie was ravenous and unflustered when he was discovered, telling the Detroit News, “I’ve never seen anything quite like this.  He was nervous, but excited. He indicated he was hungry. He appeared fine.”

Investigators do not think, however, Charlie was living in his dad’s basement the entire length of his disappearance; Craig said authorities had searched the home several times, including with six cadaver dogs and the child had not been discovered.

The strange saga began when the senior Bothuell received a call from his wife, Monique, on June 14th at around 9:45 p.m. stating that his son had left their home 45 minutes earlier. When Bothuell, who is a registered nurse with his own company, arrived home, he summoned police to report his son missing.

According to the Dad, it took three phone calls to Detroit police in order for them to even show up to his home.

They reportedly arrived at the Bothuell home after midnight.

The case gained national attention when Bothuell appeared on the popular HLN TV’s “Nancy Grace” show to publicize his son’s recent disappearance and he also discussed how the boy ran away a few years ago, but he was eventually found near his mother’s home; the child’s mother lives one mile east of his home.

Bothuell, who offered a $1,000 reward for the safe return of his missing son,  whom police had placed in a dubious light, is still not out of the clear.

Investigators still have many questions surrounding the boys odd disappearance, with Craig telling the Detroit News, “It doesn’t appear the boy could have gotten in to the hiding place alone. He was crouched behind a heavy drum, and the investigators had to move lots of boxes that were stacked up; if he did it by himself, how does that happen? Is it impossible? Maybe not, but it doesn’t appear he could have done it alone. All I know is, he was really excited to see us. One could interpret something from that.”

In addition, the senior Bothuell reportedly told Monique to leave the area, which baffled Craig, but now Bothuell says it was the FBI whom told his wife to leave. Therefore, Craig remarked, “I don’t know why he’s asserting the FBI said she had to leave; seems to me they would’ve asked her to stand by,” he told the newspaper. “That’s him talking.”

Meanwhile, the child has been taken to a medical facility for an evaluation and will be questioned by police.  Craig said Charlie “won’t be put back in to the home until we finish our investigation. The police chief then went on to state, “I didn’t see any signs of abuse, but the child protective people will certainly look for that,” he told the Detroit News.

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Boy Missing 11 Days Finally Found Unharmed In Dad’s Basement  was originally published on newsone.com

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