A coroner has disclosed the cause of death for a 13-year-old Kansas boy who was discovered lifeless in a Missouri creek bed on December 22.
The Wyandotte County, Kansas, Coroner’s Office confirmed that Airen Andula succumbed to multiple dog bites, as reported by WDAF.
Andula had been reported missing on December 21. He was last seen riding his bike in Linn County, Kansas, heading to a neighbor’s house where he was responsible for pet care, according to CrimeOnline.
During the search efforts, 47-year-old Damon Leonard reached out to deputies in Bates County, Missouri. He informed them that the boy was deceased and led authorities to a secluded, rural area about 30 minutes from his residence. There, search teams discovered Andula’s body at the bottom of a steep ravine.
Leonard faces charges in Missouri for abandonment of a corpse and in Kansas for interference with law enforcement, criminal desecration, and allowing a vicious dog to roam freely.
Currently, Leonard remains in custody in Missouri, held on a $100,000 cash bond.
