The body of 13-year-old Corey Brown was discovered on Sunday morning, five days after his family reported him missing.
As Dearly previously reported, Brown left his Marshalltown, Iowa, home on Tuesday, January 22, after allegedly having a brief disagreement with his parents, who allegedly took his phone away as a form of punishment.
As Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper told NBC News:
“Anyone with kids has had discussions with their children about household rules. This was a typical parent-teenager interaction. No anger. Nothing extraordinary.”
During the five-day search for Brown, authorities said that the below-freezing temperatures and six inches of snow on the ground made the search more difficult.
Eventually, Brown’s body was discovered less than 1.5 miles away from his home.
He was found “wearing the same clothes he left home in.” Authorities said following the discovery:
“At this time, there is no evidence or information that indicates criminal activity is connected to this. However, this is still an active investigation and all possible scenarios will be thoroughly investigated.”
Now, as KWWL is reporting, the official results of the preliminary autopsy performed on Brown have been released.
According to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny, the teenager “suffered a significant head injury and died because of a blunt force trauma injury.”
As law enforcement reveals, after Brown left his home on Tuesday, he walked to the nearby communication tower, where his body would later be found.
Marshalltown police confirm 13-year-old Corey Brown, who had been missing for several days, was found dead around 10:45…
Posted by KCRG-TV9 on Sunday, January 27, 2019
According to KWWL, it is believed the boy then “climbed over a secure fence to enter the tower site.” After that Brown reportedly “climbed onto the communication tower and fell from an undetermined distance. The fall resulted in a traumatic head injury.”
Despite tentatively determining a cause of death, police say the case remains open until the toxicology report comes back, which could take up to six to eight weeks.
Brown’s family is expected to lay their son to rest on February 1.