Missing 13-Year-Old’s Body ID’d; Cause Of Death Ruled ‘Drowning’

By Thomas Breen, New Haven Independent

NEW HAVEN, CT — The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) confirmed on Monday that 13-year-old New Havener King Best died from drowning — a day after his body was found in the West River.

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An OCME spokesperson provided the Independent with that update at 3:10 p.m. Monday.

King had jumped into the West River near the West Haven border at around 4:30 a.m. last Thursday, according to the mayor and the city's fire chief.

After more than two days, the city officially concluded its "search and rescue and recovery effort" on Saturday at noon without having found his body. At a Saturday afternoon press conference, Mayor Justin Elicker identified the missing boy as King, a New Havener and rising eighth grader at Roberto Clemente Leadership Academy in the Hill.

On Monday morning, New Haven Police Department (NHPD) spokesperson Officer Christian Bruckhart told the Independent, "We responded at about 6:41AM [Sunday] after a person fishing located a body in the water. The body was located near where King Best was last seen, however, we won't be able to confirm the deceased's identity until an autopsy is performed by the OCME."

At around 11:30 a.m. Monday, an OCME spokesperson told the Independent that the exam was taking place today, and that the identity of the body had not yet been confirmed.

Then, at 3:10 p.m., the OCME spokesperson said in an email statement, "He has been identified. The cause [of death] is 'Drowning' and the manner [of death] is 'Suicide'."

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Click here to read an article in the New Haven Register from Sunday that includes an interview with King's mom.

The New Haven Independent is a not-for-profit public-interest daily news site founded in 2005.