Crystal Wilson: Jesse Wilson's adoptive mother arrested years after body of missing 10-year-old found
BUCKEYE, ARIZONA: According to the Buckeye Police Department, 10-year-old Jesse Wilson's adoptive mother, Crystal Wilson, has been arrested in connection with the boy's death. Wilson was charged with one count of abandoning or hiding a body by a grand jury last week, according to Buckeye Police Chief Larry Hall, who spoke at a press conference on Tuesday morning, December 13. She was arrested on Monday afternoon, December 12, in her Gainesville home in Georgia.
Wilson was reported missing from his home in the Sundance neighborhood of Buckeye in the early morning hours July 18, 2016. Crystal initially contacted the Buckeye Police Department saying her son had slipped out of their home, as per ABC15. Police and hundreds of volunteers from the community, including staff from the school Jesse attended, spent countless hours searching for the boy but found no trace of him. The FBI also helped in the search and the police didn’t rule out foul play in his disappearance.
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On March 8, 2018, a Buckeye city worker discovered what appeared to be partial human remains on the side of the road, close to State Route 85 and Broadway Road. Those remains were positively confirmed as belonging to Jesse Wilson a few days later. It was concluded that his cause of death was "undetermined." Authorities stated that Crystal had relocated a few weeks before the discovery of Jesse's remains. She had already moved to Georgia by the time police approached her regarding the identification.
Cynthia Lauderdale, Wilson’s biological grandmother, also spoke out to express her gratitude to the people who helped work the case. "We love Jesse very much....he stays with us every single day. We know that he's in Heaven with his mom," Lauderdale said, noting that Jesse's biological mother had died.
Police claim that Crystal has not yet admitted to what exactly happened to Jesse. No murder weapons have been found. Police suspect Jesse's death may have been caused by neglect. "(Crystal) knows what happened. She's not telling us," police said. They made the arrest this week based on statements, DNA evidence, and more evidence that placed Crystal near the scene where Jesse's remains were found.
In 2011, Avondale police were summoned to the residence after multiple complaints about Crystal's five children being mistreated and malnourished, according to reports found by ABC15. Responding authorities made sure the kids were fed and they found no signs of maltreatment after checking for injuries. According to neighbors who lived close to the Wilsons, the children were frequently spotted knocking on doors asking for food.