A Missouri family is grieving once again after a 6-year-old autistic boy was found dead in a pond, just months after his twin brother also drowned.
Christian Riley Baucom, of Colony in Knox County, was reported missing Tuesday afternoon. Missouri State Highway Patrol divers found his body on Wednesday after a small pond was drained, according to the Quincy Herald-Whig.
Christian's brother, Jason Patrick Baucom, drowned at his residence last August near Knox City, Mo., after wandering from a group of children. The two boys were living with a Mennonite family because their mother is in prison.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Lt. Nelson Elfrink said relatives said the boy had a "fascination" with hogs. A hog pen is about 30 yards from the pond where he was found, the newspaper reports.
An investigation is ongoing, but authorities believe the drowning was accidental.
Children with autism are often fascinated with water, experts say. Though many cannot talk or communicate, they are extremely intelligent and curious. One of the Mennonite women who helped care for the boy said he loved the outdoors, but "wouldn't miss dinner," she told the newspaper.
Click here for more on this report from the Quincy Herald-Whig.
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