Skeletal remains in an Arizona irrigation ditch have been identified as those of 10-year-old boy Jesse Wilson who vanished from his suburban Phoenix home nearly two years ago.
At a news conference, Buckeye Detective Tamela Skaggs confirmed that partial remains recovered from a site off of State Highway 85 earlier this month are those of Wilson.
She said without knowing the cause of death, investigators don't know if there was foul play at this time, but the case will be treated as a homicide.
'Any time we have a case with a dead body we will investigate that as a homicide,' she said.
She said police have yet to rule out any suspects.
The boy disappeared from his home in the early morning of July 18, 2016, in a Buckeye neighborhood, located about 35 miles west of Phoenix.
Police treated it as a runaway case because the boy's adoptive mother, Crystal Wilson, told investigators that he suffered from 'learning and developmental issues' and was taking medication.
The mom-of-five said he had slipped out of his second-floor bedroom window overnight in the past.
In a July 2016 interview with the station KPHO, Ms Wilson addressed her missing son directly, saying: 'This is your mommy. No one is mad at you. I just miss your loving, caring sweet voice. That's all I have to say.' The