On July 28, a 7-year-old boy, now identified as Troy Khoeler was reported missing. According to Troy’s parents, they had been searching for their son since the night before.
According to the missing person report they filed at 5:20 a.m. that morning, they last saw Troy inside their Houston, Texas home. Shortly after reporting him missing, homicide officers arrived at the home to ask the parents a few questions and search the home themselves.
Questions Remain Unanswered After Missing Boy Is Found Dead in Family’s Washing Machine
Two hours later, the homicide officers made a gruesome discovery. Inside the family’s washing machine, which was located in the garage of the house, was Troy, fully clothed and deceased.
While talking with KHOU-TV, Troy’s father, Jermaine Thomas said it was around midnight on Thursday morning with he first noticed the front door to their home was unlocked.
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Now, several questions have arisen as police continue to keep the findings in their ongoing investigation private from the public. “I came home, I was fixin’ to walk in the door. I put my keys to the door handle and then it just opened,” he said. “Anything else after that, I don’t know.”
Where Jermaine was coming from is unclear and who was home with Troy was also not immediately known to the public. According to People, Troy’s parents were first his foster parents before they adopted him in 2019.
Troy and Troy’s parents are the only people who live inside the home.
What is known to the public, based on several initial reports, is that the washing machine was a top-loading newer model machine. Given Troy was just seven years old, it’s unclear how Troy got inside the washing machine.
As of August 2, no arrests have been made in connection to Troy’s tragic passing. It’s also unclear if the lid to the washing machine was opened or closed when officers found him or if it was turned on.
As People reports, the garage door was reportedly found unlocked and the door to Troy’s room was also found open. Troy’s father was home at the time of Troy’s initial disappearance. His mother was working at a nearby hospital.
An autopsy is currently being conducted to determine Troy’s cause of death. In one of the only statements given to the media following Troy’s death, HCSO Lt. Robert Minchew told KHOU-TV that, currently, “we don’t know what happened, but we intend to find out.”
“Whether he was killed by the washing machine or killed and placed in it, we’re just so far from that. I can’t comment,” Minchew added. Neighbors told KHOU that they often saw Troy playing in the yard of his home.
It was also not immediately clear if Troy was found with any visible injuries. Or if police found any evidence of foul play. A HCSO spokesperson told People that “the case continues to be investigated and nothing has been ruled out.”
Both of Troy’s parents have been questioned separately but, again, have not been placed under arrest. The autopsy is expected to take up to four weeks to complete.