13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Teen arrested in 10-year-old Rising Sun boy's death

Teen arrested in 10-year-old Rising Sun boy's death

Jeremy Brilliant/Eyewitness News

Rising Sun - A ten-year-old boy was found dead near a park in a small Indiana town over the weekend, and now police have a 17-year-old in custody in connection with the case.

It happened in the small town of Rising Sun, which is located about 40 miles southwest of Cincinnati.

Indiana State Police are calling it a death investigation. They do have a 17-year-old in custody but he only faces a battery charge. That charge could change to murder after an autopsy is completed Tuesday.

The body was found Sunday evening in a wooded area not far from where ten-year-old Conner Conley went to school. He was a fifth-grader at Ohio County Elementary School in Rising Sun His classmates were given the grim news first thing Monday morning.

"They came in, they're like, we have sad news. Conner's dead," said John Maiden, a friend.

A 17-year-old from Ohio County is currently under arrest. Police won't identify him or say how he is connected to the victim. They also aren't commenting on a motive for the attack. He faces a single charge of battery causing serious bodily injury.

"As the investigation continues, if other evidence is uncovered that would warrant additional charges than that would be forthcoming but at this point, that's just a preliminary charge," said Sgt. Noel Houze, Indiana State Police.

Police say a tip led them to Conner's body, which was found just a few yards from a walking trail. They won't say where that information came from but they do say the body was brought to that location from somewhere else.

With a population of about 2,500, residents of Rising Sun aren't accustomed to violent crime. It's been more than a decade since police investigated a suspicious death here.

"We've all just kind of been shocked because this is just a small little community. We're not used to this, and our hearts go out to the family. I think we're still just in shock over it," said Linda Bott, Rising Sun resident.

So are Conner's friends, who at a very young age are learning a very difficult life lesson.

"He was a great kid and he's in a better place," said one friend.

"They seem to be dealing with it as well as can be expected," said Steve Patz, Rising Sun Schools superintendent. "We're praying for the family that they're able to handle it because I know they're going through a very difficult time. Hopefully our staff and students will come through this as well."