Two boys have been charged in the death of 8-year-old Noah Bush in Jesup, Georgia, in May.
WSBTV reports, citing lawyers, that an unnamed 11-year-old admitted to taking Bush to a “drill pit” full of water and holding his head underwater while he drowned. The boy was charged and sentenced to two years in prison.
“This 11-year-old admitted under oath that he actually led Noah Bush to the clay pits, pushed him into the water and ultimately held his head under water until he drowned,” family attorney Francys Johnson told WSBTV.
According to the news agency, another unnamed boy, aged 10, was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in covering up the death and for trespassing. Both boys received the maximum sentence for juveniles and were sentenced in July.
Family demands justice after drowning of 8-year-old black boy
“My baby was 8 years old and had a full life ahead of him,” Bush’s mother, Demetrice Bush, told WJCL. “And two years is what the state of Georgia calls justice for an entire life lost.” Bush added in a GoFundMe campaign that her son was “a vibrant young man full of life not yet lived.”
The family insists the crime was racially motivated and is working with attorneys at Davis Bozeman Johnson Law to move the case forward.
“This is not the end,” attorney Mawuli Mel Davis told WJCL. “The adults involved who helped mislead this family must also be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Bush initially went missing on May 15 before his body was found in the extraction pits the next day. Police did not suspect any foul play at the time.
A GoFundMe campaign started by Bush’s teacher Gracie Yoder raised over $14,500 to help the family pay for the funeral and other expenses.
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