In a heartbreaking development, authorities have potentially uncovered the cause behind the tragic death of a 4-year-old boy from Alabama, who was discovered lifeless a few days after being reported missing on New Year’s Eve.

According to preliminary findings from the autopsy, it appears that young Johnathan Boley succumbed to hypothermia, as confirmed by Walker County Coroner Joey Vick earlier this week. This information was shared with local media outlets, including Fox’s WBRC and NBC’s WVTM.

Investigators have noted peculiar details, such as the child being found without shoes, which led them to dismiss drowning as a cause of death, as reported by WTVM.

As the community awaits the final autopsy results, Boley’s funeral has been scheduled for January 10, per WBRC’s reports.

A preliminary autopsy report indicates that Johnathan Boley’s death is consistent with hypothermia, Walker County Coroner Joey Vick said this week. (FOX 13-WTVT)

Boley’s funeral is scheduled for Jan. 10, according to WBRC.

Hypothermia is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is exposed to freezing temperatures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Johnathan Everett Boley was reported missing on Dec. 30 after he wandered away from a rural property along Highway 195 near Jasper, Alabama, while playing outside with his dog, Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith said during a news conference.

Following a multi-day search involving hundreds of law enforcement officers, volunteers, K-9 teams, drones and aircraft, searchers found the child’s body on Jan. 2 roughly two miles from the home, officials said. 

The dog was located alive nearby.

The body of Johnathan Boley was found in a wooded area near his father’s Alabama home on Jan. 2, 2025. The dog was located alive nearby. (FOX 13-WTVT)

“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.”

Johnathan Boley and his siblings live with their mother in Florida and were visiting their father for the holidays under a custody arrangement, authorities said.

Boley’s father, Jameson Kyle Boley, 40, of Jasper, Alabama, has been charged with felony chemical endangerment of a child and unlawful manufacture of a destructive device, according to Walker County District Court records obtained by Fox News Digital.

Law enforcement officials have said that the destructive-device charge is not related to the death of his son.

Jameson Boley, 40, is charged with unlawful manufacturing of a destructive device and two counts of chemical endangerment of a child.  (Blount County Jail)

“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.

The Walker County Coroner’s office and the Walker County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.