Missing Hart County child found dead after IAN Alert issued

CUB RUN, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — Kentucky State Police says a 5-year-old Hart County boy reported missing Tuesday morning has been found dead.

In an update, KSP confirmed that Silas Chearer was located deceased after an hours-long search in the Cub Run area. Officials said they grieve with the boy’s family and the community, and no further details have been released about the circumstances.

Earlier Tuesday, state police issued an Immediate Alert Notification (IAN Alert) for Silas, who was last seen around 8 a.m. walking away from his home. KSP described him as autistic and possibly in danger.

The IAN Alert program is designed to quickly notify the public about missing or endangered individuals.