UPDATE: 10:30 a.m on July 15
Kentucky State Police reported on Tuesday that the missing child out of Hart County was found dead after an IAN Alert was issued by officials. KSP identified the child as 5-year-old Silas Chearer.
"KSP grieves with this family and the community," a release from KSP read.
KSP confirmed that Chearer was last seen on a Ring camera video walking from his home at around 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
KSP added that at this time, additional information is unable to be provided.
On Tuesday afternoon, State Representative Candy Massaroni released a statement following the reported death of Chearer.
“My heart is broken. Like so many others, I prayed for a different outcome when the IAN Alert was issued this morning. While I am grateful that the system worked as intended and quickly communicated a crisis - today we are left grieving the devastating loss of a precious child."
A release from the Kentucky House Majority Caucus explained that the IAN Alert system was established in 2024 specifically for "children with an intellectual disability or mental illness."
“This is the very reason the IAN Alert was created: to respond rapidly when a vulnerable child goes missing," Massaroni continued. "The system was born from heartbreak, and sadly, heartbreak has visited another family. There are no words that can ease their pain, but I want them to know they are not alone. I am praying for them, mourning with them, and holding them in my heart. I am hopeful they find comfort in knowing their child was valued by our Commonwealth and loved by his community."
IAN alerts, the release read, are named in honor of Ian Sousis, a Kentucky child with autism that drowned in the Ohio river "after eloping from a children's home."
Massaroni concluded, “I also want to thank the first responders, law enforcement, and volunteers who acted swiftly and selflessly. Their efforts were heroic. Though the outcome was not what any of us hoped for, I remain committed to strengthening the tools we have to protect our most vulnerable. In Ian’s name and in Silas’s memory, we will continue to do the work.”
Original Story:
On Tuesday morning, Kentucky State Police issued an Ian Alert for a missing juvenile who "may be endangered."
The push alert from KSP detailed that the juvenile is missing out of Cub Run, Kentucky and may be in need of assistance.
"Please remain alert and check local media for updates. If you see or if you have any information, contact 911 immediately. Do not attempt to intervene directly."
