EXCLUSIVE TO FOX: In a tragic turn of events, the father of a 4-year-old Florida boy, who was discovered lifeless after going missing during a New Year’s trip to Alabama, is now confronting serious legal troubles. Court records have revealed that he faces multiple felony charges.
Jameson Kyle Boley, a 40-year-old resident of Jasper, Alabama, has been charged with the felony of chemical endangerment of a child, along with unlawful manufacture of a destructive device, according to documents from the Walker County District Court, as reported by Fox News Digital.
The young boy, Johnathan Everett Boley, affectionately called “John John” by his family, vanished on December 31. He was last seen playing outside with his dog on a rural property situated along Highway 195 near Jasper, Alabama. Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith confirmed the details during a press briefing.
The disappearance prompted a massive search operation involving hundreds of law enforcement officers, dedicated volunteers, K-9 search teams, drones, and aircraft. The search spanned several square miles of challenging, densely wooded terrain.
Tragically, search teams discovered Johnathan’s body on January 2, located approximately two miles from his father’s residence, while his dog was found alive nearby. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed, pending the results of an autopsy and an ongoing investigation.
Searchers found the child’s body on Jan. 2, roughly two miles from the home. The dog was found alive nearby. Authorities have not released a cause of death and said an autopsy and further investigation are pending.
“This is not the outcome anyone hoped for,” Smith said at the time. “Our hearts go out to this family and everyone who worked tirelessly to bring this child home.”
Smith said that during the search of the home, authorities discovered explosives, and the FBI was brought in.
“The search of the house was suspended due to the explosives in the house,” Smith said. “The FBI is handling that aspect. Their bomb squad is making it safe and secure so we can continue the search of the house.”
Authorities have said Johnathan and his siblings normally lived with their mother in Florida and were visiting their father in Alabama for the holidays under a custody arrangement.
Charges filed during search
Court records show investigators arrested Boley during the search for the missing child. He now faces charges in two separate felony cases. In one case, prosecutors charged Boley with two counts of chemical endangerment of a child, a felony under Alabama law.
According to a criminal complaint, investigators allege that “on or about Dec. 31, 2025”, Boley, who is identified in court records as a “responsible person, to-wit: the father,” knowingly, recklessly or intentionally caused or permitted two children, including Johnathan, to be exposed to, ingest, inhale or have contact with methamphetamine.
The 4-year-old disappeared on Dec. 31, which is allegedly the same day the children were exposed to methamphetamine inside the home. Court records did not specify the amount of methamphetamine that was found on the property or whether the children tested positive.
Jameson Boley, 40, is charged with unlawful manufacturing of a destructive device and two counts of chemical endangerment of a child. (Blount County Jail)
In a separate felony case, Boley is charged with the unlawful manufacture of a destructive device, court filings show.
That complaint alleges Boley possessed precursor substances with the intent to unlawfully manufacture a destructive device or bacteriological weapon.
Investigators said Boley was not authorized by state or federal law to possess such materials. Law enforcement officials have said that the destructive-device charge is not related to the death of his son.
“At this time, there is no evidence indicating foul play in the child’s death, and these charges should not be conflated with the search for Johnathan,” Smith said during a news conference.
Judge cites ‘danger to the community,’ sets cash-only bonds
Bond hearing records show a Walker County district judge ordered Boley held on cash-only bonds totaling $400,000, citing public safety concerns.
In the chemical endangerment case, the judge set bond at $100,000 cash. In the destructive-device case, bond was set at $300,000 cash.
The body of Johnathan Boley was found in a wooded area near his father’s Alabama home on Jan. 2, 2025. (FOX 13-WTVT)
In both bond orders, the judge made handwritten notes, writing that Boley is a “danger to the community,” according to records reviewed by Fox News Digital. Boley remains in custody.
Court records show that Boley was appointed a public defender and has formally requested preliminary hearings in both felony cases. A district judge granted those requests, and the hearings are scheduled for Jan. 20 at the Walker County Courthouse Annex, records show.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Boley’s appointed attorney, Sam Bentley, for comment.
Members of the Church of the Apostles and DaySpring Summer Camp in Parrish, Florida gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil for Johnathan Boley. (FOX 13-WTVT)
Former Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead said the cash-only bond amounts appear consistent with the severity of the charges and the court’s findings.
“Setting a high cash bond, particularly after reviewing the defendant’s financial status, often means the court expects the individual to remain in custody,” Halstead told Fox News Digital. “I’ve seen this many times in my career, and the amounts here appear reflective of the charges the suspect is facing.”
Halstead noted that court records explicitly cite public safety concerns.
“When I reviewed the bond hearing order, it clearly states that the suspect is a ‘danger to the community,’” he said. “That is a standard and appropriate notation in cases involving allegations of this nature.”
Authorities said the investigation into Johnathan’s death remains ongoing and that additional information will be released when available. Officials have asked the public to allow the family privacy as they grieve.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Walker County District Attorney’s Office, the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, the Jasper Police Department, and the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office for comment.
