Remains found in field confirmed as missing Iowa boy

MONTEZUMA, Iowa — A body found in a rural Iowa field two weeks ago was confirmed as Xavior Harrelson, a 10-year-old boy missing since May 27, authorities said.

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The Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office made the announcement on Friday, the Des Moines Register reported. The cause of death has not been released, the newspaper reported.

The Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office announced the medical examiner’s findings in a Facebook post Friday night.

Harrelson, of Montezuma, was last seen three days before his 11th birthday, the Des Moines Register reported. The body found on Sept. 30 was about four miles from Harrelson’s home and was discovered by a farmer mowing fields, the newspaper reported.

Investigators confirmed that the remains appeared to be those of a juvenile and that the clothing found at the scene was similar to what Harrelson was reportedly wearing when he disappeared, KCRG reported.

>> Investigators: Remains found in field match description of missing Iowa boy

Harrelson was last seen wearing a red T-shirt, blue pajama pants and black high-top shoes, the Register reported. He was riding his bike away from his home, WHO-TV reported.

The location where Harrelson’s body was found brought back memories of the murder of Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old college student at the University of Iowa who died in 2018. Tibbetts went missing after a run near her hometown of Brooklyn, located about 15 miles from Montezuma, the Register reported. Her body was found in a cornfield.

>> Man convicted of murdering University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts sentenced to life in prison

Tibbetts’ mother donated money toward Harrelson’s reward fund, KCCI reported.

On Aug. 30, Cristhian Bahena Rivera was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, three months after the undocumented farm worker pleaded guilty to Tibbetts’ murder.

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