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On Thursday, July 28, 2022, Texas police received a report of a missing child named Troy Khoeler. A few hours later, the child was found dead inside a top-load washing machine in his residence.
Police are yet to confirm if Troy was murdered, and what the motive for such an action could have been. Investigations are still underway.
Mysterious death of Troy Khoeler leaves many questioning the circumstances
7-year-old Troy Khoeler lived with his foster parents, whose names have been withheld, in Harris County, Texas. He was reportedly taken in by the couple in 2019.
They reported him missing at 5:20 AM on July 28, 2022. Although arrests are yet to be made, the foster parents were questioned by the police, in accordance with standard procedure.
According to Lt. Robert Minchew of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit, police found the body in the house after an interview with the foster parents of the missing child.
"Things that they observed led them to search the house thoroughly at that point. They found a deceased 7-year-old child in the washing machine in the garage."
Police have refused to comment on the nature of Khoeler's death or if there was water in the washing machine. No official statement has been made on whether the death was accidental or intentional. Authorities have not released any information regarding external signs of trauma or foul play to the public yet.
Minchew said:
"Whether he was killed by the washing machine or killed and placed in it, we’re just so far from that, I can’t comment. We don’t know what happened, but we intend to find out."
After police were called to the Texas residence based on the missing persons report, Precinct 4 constable Mark Herman had taken to social media to spread information about the missing boy. He described Khoeler as:
"He was last seen wearing a blue shirt & pants, has a small afro hair style."
The sudden demise of the child has shocked the entire community and raised questions regarding the mysterious nature of Troy Khoeler's death. Rudy Chupa, a neighbor, commented that he had often seen the seven-year-old play in the neighborhood.
"It's bad, I mean, I've got great-grandkids, I don't know how they're coping with it. It shouldn't happen to anybody. Wow."
Death of Texas child adds to the list of recent violence against children
On Wednesday, July 27, the nation was shocked by the cruel murder of three children by their own mother in Connecticut. According to police reports, Sonia Loja strangled her young children before taking her own life. Earlier this month, the bodies of the three missing children and their mother were recovered by police from Lake Vadnais in Minnesota. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher believed that the drowning of the children was intentional.
Khoeler's death is a part of the recent surge of violence against young children. A criminal investigation is underway to determine the cause of his death.
