COLUMBUS, OH — The search for an 8-year-old boy, Martonio Wilder, ended tragically in Columbus after his body was found concealed in a trash bag and sleeping bag in the attic of his home.
The discovery was made late Friday evening by Columbus police, who had obtained a search warrant following suspicions about the boy’s disappearance.
Martonio’s mother, LaShanda Delores Wilder, 32, and her partner, Johnna Lowe, 33, turned themselves in to police the next afternoon. Both have been charged with obstruction of justice.
Additionally, LaShanda Wilder faces a murder charge. The coroner ruled Martonio’s death a homicide, noting he suffered from “deep neck compression.”
The motive behind the heinous act remains unclear. Martonio was reported missing on Friday afternoon from his residence on the 1000 block of Olmstead Avenue.
His mother had initially claimed that he was last seen between 9:30 PM and 10 PM on Thursday before being put to bed. When police returned with a cadaver dog to further investigate, LaShanda Wilder reportedly became uncooperative and left the scene with Lowe and two other children.
This devastating outcome has left the community and Martonio’s family in profound grief, questioning how this tragedy could have unfolded while extensive search efforts were ongoing.