This has been a sad past couple of weeks for the folks in western Wisconsin and for all of those who have been following the news of the death of 2-year-old Isaiah Theis.
Isaiah was reported missing first on the evening of July 16. His body was found in the truck of a car that his father was repairing on the family’s property the next day — 30 hours after he was reported missing.
During that time no one searched the vehicle. In fact, hundreds of people walked by the car on numerous occasions during that time frame.
Thousands of searchers looked for the young boy for nearly two days in the fields and woods and waters near Isaiah’s home in Centuria, Wis., about 60 miles northeast of St. Paul.
Preliminary autopsy results showed the boy died from hyperthermia.
It still isn’t certain how Isaiah got into the trunk. We may never know. Some speculate the young boy grabbed the keys, opened the locked trunk, crawled in and closed the trunk, locking himself in the deadly chamber. Temperatures at the time were stifling.
Initial reports said Isaiah was playing with his 7-year-old brother.
After the boy’s body was found, sheriff’s deputies said they regretted not looking in the vehicles parked on the property immediately.
The body wasn’t discovered until the vehicle’s owner came to claim his car from Justin Theis, Isaiah’s father.
In hindsight, Sheriff Peter Johnson said he wished the car would have been searched immediately, but he was told the trunk was locked and it was unlikely the boy could have been inside.
Isaiah was laid to rest this past week. His, like so many who are taken way too early, was a death that could easily have been avoided.
This week was a time to grieve. In coming weeks, we hope, some answers may be forthcoming and hopefully lessons that have been learned through this tragedy are not soon forgotten.