The body of a 6-year-old boy was found in a dumpster this week and police in Washington say a relative killed him while visiting from out of town.
On Tuesday morning, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook that it was investigating the death of a boy whose body was found in a dumpster at the apartment complex where he lived.
The announcement came less than 12 hours after the department had announced that 6-year-old Dayvid Pakko, a child with mild autism, had been reported missing.
After Pakko's body was found — in the trash container located just yards from his front door, according to the Seattle Times — deputies arrested the boy's 19-year-old uncle on suspicion of homicide.
The suspect, who was not immediately named by local media outlets, allegedly told police that he drowned Pakko in the bathtub, according to the Seattle Times. He allegedly told police that after killing him, he wrapped Pakko's body in a blanket and placed him in a cardboard box before putting it in the dumpster.
The suspect was visiting Pakko's home in Lynnwood, Washington from Texas, where he lives.
Seattle's KCPQ-TV reported that the suspect's father told them his son also has autism and questioned the interview procedures of the arresting police. This visit to Washington was allegedly the first time Pakko had met his teen uncle.
"They're both autistic," the suspect's father told KCPQ. "My daughter told me they both connected very naturally. That's what I was told. I've been talking with them every day since, during the week that he's been there, and there were zero problems."
Clint Davis is a reporter for the Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @MrClintDavis. Keep up to date with the latest news by following @ScrippsNational on Twitter.
