Last year, 15-year-old Jacob Caldwell of Ohio witnessed his mother, Tawnney Caldwell, murdering his father, Robert Caldwell.
After the heinous incident, Jacob’s grandparents were given emergency temporary custody of him and his brothers.
But on August 21, 2017, Jacob went missing. He was believed to have run away.
A year after his disappearance, Lamar advertising and Norton Outdoor Advertising donated billboards to try to locate Jacob. A tip was called in and he was found 40 miles from home in a Miami Township on Monday night.
He was found living in the basement of a home with 4 other adults. He did not appear to be hidden there, but rather spent most of his time there. He was found healthy, but in need of a haircut, and he had spent most of his time watching TV and playing video games with no social interaction with other children.
The 4 adults are of no direct relation to him, but are said to be associated with his mother.
Jacob is currently in a juvenile detention center because of a warrant that was issued after he’d previously run away from his father and stepmother’s house.
But the most important part of the story is that Jacob has been found safe and sound, for the most part.
The internet is overjoyed.
Great news! Another child found! Let’s continue to increase these numbers until victories outnumber the losses!
— Laura Hyman ⚜️ (@ilovefroggie) August 28, 2018
Thankful he was found safe but cant imagine the heartache he has lived through this last year.
— Annabelle (@AJacob9425) August 28, 2018
Wow. that is fantastic news. Thanks for sharing!
— Christine Chagaris (@Chiclet999) August 28, 2018
Wow. This is news you don’t see often. Glad he is safe. Hopefully he gets all the help he needs to get his life back and move forward.
— Shirl Martin (@GrooGruxGurl) August 28, 2018
Holy hell this is fantastic news
— Oddboz (@oddboz) August 28, 2018
I actually cried tears of joy when I read your news. May ALL lost children be found alive and well.
— Cheryl S (@ShakoryCreative) August 28, 2018
Thank goodness! I pray he gets good mental health care after what he's been through. I'd probably be a bit unruly too, after what he witnessed.
— C.A. Skirvin (@TazzyD211) August 28, 2018
Great super duper news! Hoping he'll stay safe and go on the road to peace of mind…time will do that I hope…
— Elaine Brown (@mizzybrown) August 28, 2018
Great news guys!!!! Jacob Caldwell has been found SAFE!! https://t.co/4JXSspcGCM
— Tiffany Wild (@Tiffanywildyt) August 28, 2018
I get chills each time they are found safe and alive. So nice to see good news!! #LivePD #LivePDNation #JacobCaldwell https://t.co/NYpU45hKof
— LivePDMusings (@LivePDMusings) August 29, 2018
Watch a Dayton news station’s coverage of the joyous occasion here.