MISSING KANSAS CITY BOY, 10, FOUND DEAD IN POND
A 10-year-old Kansas City boy was found dead in a pond after slipping out of his family’s home overnight. Jackson Georgari had a history of sleepwalking, his family told authorities.
Jackson S. Georgari was found on Thursday, July 9, 2026, in a pond near Briarcliff Village at about 12:30 p.m., police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“There’s a fairly large pond down there. He was located by police officers who were searching that area in the water, and he was brought out,” Capt. Jake Becchina, a Kansas City Police Department spokesperson, said at a press briefing.
The overnight search
Police said Jackson was last seen around midnight. KSHB reported that a neighbor’s Ring camera showed him walking alone, heading south, at about 12:05 a.m.
PEOPLE reported that he was last seen in a gray T-shirt and gray shorts.
The Kansas City Star reported that searchers used K-9 units and drones. Crews from Riverside, Gladstone and North Kansas City also helped, along with helicopters, KSHB reported.
Dennis Hull, who lives near the pond, told the Star that police swarmed the area. He said a neighbor’s camera had captured a figure officers thought might be Jackson.
What police said about the death
TMZ reported that first responders pulled Jackson from the water and tried to revive him.
“There were obviously fire crews immediately nearby, and they began resuscitation efforts. Unfortunately, they were not successful. He was declared deceased here at the scene,” Becchina said.
Police said there were no immediate or obvious signs of foul play. They described the matter as an active death investigation.
KCTV5 reported that police said Jackson had no diagnosed medical conditions.
His sister’s account
Jackson’s sister, Semina Richard, told NJ.com that he had wandered off while sleepwalking before. She described an earlier incident in San Diego in which someone found him on the street and called 911.
She said of a later episode, “And he ran away again, and he went, like, all the way up there where his school is at because that’s the only place he recognizes.”
What happened next
The pond is part of Charles A. Garney Park and Trails, across from the Village at Briarcliff shopping center, the Star reported.
No arrest or charge has been reported in the case.
In a follow-up on July 12, 2026, the Star reported that the death investigation was ongoing and the autopsy was pending. Police described processing the scene and interviewing family and witnesses as steps in that investigation.
A Forensic Medical records custodian told the Star that autopsy reports are generally available eight to 12 weeks after the exam and after the police investigation closes.
Police said the medical examiner would determine Jackson’s cause and manner of death.
