The body discovered earlier this week in northern Germany has been identified as that of 6-year-old Arian, who had been missing for several weeks. Police investigations have revealed that the boy’s death was not the result of a criminal act, though they have not released further details out of respect for the family’s privacy.
Arian, who had autism, disappeared from his home in Elm, located in Lower Saxony, at the end of April. Law enforcement launched an extensive search effort involving up to 1,200 people to locate the missing child. The discovery of Arian’s body was made by a farmer in a meadow near his hometown on Monday afternoon.
DNA testing has confirmed that the body found is indeed that of the young boy. The location where Arian was found is just a few kilometers away from his family home and was a part of the search area covered by authorities. German media reports that the community has been deeply saddened by the tragic outcome of the search for Arian.