Search crews used drones, dogs, ATVs and dive teams after 6-year-old John Ross III disappeared from a Riverdale Road apartment complex.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — An overnight search that drew police officers, deputies, specialized rescue teams and community members ended Sunday evening when divers recovered the body of 6-year-old John Ross III from a pond near the apartment complex where he was reported missing.
The search began Saturday evening at Meadow Springs apartments in the 6000 block of Riverdale Road and expanded as authorities worked to find a child considered especially vulnerable. John had a developmental disability and was nonverbal, police said. Teams searched around the complex, in wooded areas and eventually in the pond as the operation continued into a second day.
Police were called to the property at about 7:43 p.m. Saturday. John was reported missing around 7:45 p.m. He had been visiting the area with family and was last seen wearing blue shorts with no shirt or shoes. Officials did not release details explaining how he became separated from the people caring for him.
Clayton County police and sheriff’s deputies initially searched the apartment property and surrounding ground. The effort included police dogs and thermal imaging equipment, while neighbors and people who knew John also joined efforts to locate him. Some of the boy’s teachers came to the apartment complex during the search.
Authorities halted the search at about 3 a.m. Sunday before operations resumed around 8 a.m. The renewed effort brought specialized resources from multiple agencies. A drone was used from above, and Forest Park police provided all-terrain vehicles to help crews cover wooded areas that were more difficult to reach on foot.
Water searches became a major part of the operation as divers worked in a small pond near the apartment complex. Clayton County personnel searched the water before the Butts County dive team took over. That team recovered John’s body Sunday evening. Authorities said the pond was no deeper than about eight feet.
The discovery brought an end to the search but opened a new phase focused on determining how John died. Clayton County police Capt. Nicholas Gailey said investigators had not established whether the death was an accident or involved foul play. Police have not released a cause or manner of death or explained how John reached the pond.
The outcome also affected neighbors who had watched or helped with the search. Donna Vaughn, who lived in the same building where John had been visiting, remembered him as a sweet child with a “beautiful smile.” Other neighbors described spending Saturday night hoping he would be found safe.
Police thanked the agencies and community members who helped search for John and expressed condolences to his family. With the search operation concluded, investigators continue working to establish the circumstances that led from his disappearance Saturday evening to his recovery from the pond Sunday.
Author note: Last updated August 10, 2026.