After the body of a 10-year-old boy was discovered in the Mississippi River, the boy’s father was arrested. The authorities in Hennepin County have arrested the father because he is believed to have been among the last people to see the child before he was reported missing. However, criminal law states that no conviction can be obtained without the presentation of sufficient evidence.
The child had been missing for a month before his body was discovered. The last day the boy went to school was on March 18, and surveillance footage from his apartment complex confirmed that he made it home. However, before he entered the residence, he reportedly turned and walked toward the parking lot. According to the video footage from the school’s transport van, the boy remarked that his father and uncle were nearby before he was dropped off at home.
The authorities claim to have “electronic evidence” that places the father near the site where the boy’s body was found. However, details of the nature of the evidence have not been released. Furthermore, it does not appear as if the authorities have any evidence directly linking the father to the child’s death.
The father is being detained in Hennepin County Jail, but he has yet to be formally charged. According to criminal law, no conviction can be obtained without evidence that is both relevant and competent. Even if evidence is found placing the father near the area where the body was found, it does not necessarily indicate that the father was in any way linked to the disappearance and death of his son. The father retains the presumption of innocence until, and only if, proved guilty.
Source: ABC News, “Police Arrest Father of Minnesota Boy, 10, Found in River”, April 13, 2015