Boy's body found, but clues elusive

Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Dateline: Oxford, Indiana

By Erin Smith

esmith@journalandcourier.com

State police continued to investigate the death of 11-year-old Nicolas Zavala, who was reported missing from his Oxford home Aug. 13, 2002.

Nicolas was last seen Aug. 4, 2002, when his grandmother, Margaret E. Williams, dropped him off at the Oxford Public Library where he was to meet friends for a camping trip, Williams told police. His remains were found in an Iroquois County, Ill., cornfield on April 18.

Sgt. Shana Kennedy, a spokeswoman for the Indiana State Police, said though an autopsy has been completed, additional evidence found this fall has not yet been processed.

"I think they have a general idea about the cause of death," said Kennedy, who stressed that it's against state police policy to release information about the evidence or the cause or time of death in an ongoing investigation.

Much of the delay has been caused by a backlog of cases at the state police lab in Lowell. Kennedy said the situation at the lab will be improved over the next year.

"I honestly believe that somebody out there knows something, and they just haven't stepped forward," Kennedy said. "Somebody is responsible for the death of that little boy, and we're going to find them."

Have a tip?

The Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Foundation offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of Nicolas Zavala.

To report a tip, contact Detective Tom Minnicus, Indiana State Police, at (765) 463-1515.

PHOTO CAPTION

DEATH UNSOLVED: A young man looks at a poster of Nicolas Zavala during a May 1 memorial service at the Oxford Church of Christ in Oxford. The 11-year-old missing boy's remains were found in an Illinois field in late April. Journal and Courier file photo/Michael Heinz.