7-Year-Old Found Dead Inside Washing Machine Hours After Adoptive Parents Report Him Missing

Spring, Texas -- A 7-year-old boy from Texas, identified as Troy Khoeler, was found dead inside a washing machine at his home hours after his adoptive parents reported him missing, police said.

The deputies who responded to the report of the missing boy found his body inside a top load washing machine in the garage of his family’s home in Spring at around 7:20 a.m. Thursday, Harris County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Robert Minchew said.

Khoeler was missing since 4 a.m. and his body was found two hours after the parents called 911. "We ask for everyone’s prayers for the family," Harris County Constable Precinct 4 Herman said in Tweet announcing the child's death.

Meanwhile, it is unclear if the washing machine had water inside it or if the lid was closed at the time of the discovery. The child, however, was fully clothed when he was found inside, police said, as reported by NY Post.

The investigators did not comment on whether they are suspecting foul play in the case or if they believe that the boy climbed into the machine. An autopsy report from the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office is awaited to determine the exact cause of death.

"We don’t know what happened, but we intend to find out. 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," Minchew said.

While interviewing the parents about the boy's missing, the deputies decided to search the house after noticing that there were no signs of a door or window that was left open, and the child could not be found in the neighborhood, police said.

No arrests have been made. However, the child's parents were taken in for an interview with the police as part of the routine investigation, Minchew said.

Khoeler was a foster child and was adopted by the family in 2019. He did not have any siblings and lived alone in the house with his parents. Minchew said there is "not a lot of history" of calls from the family that the police needed to investigate.