Body of missing 6-year-old recovered in Clayton County pond
Police recover 6-year-old's body from Clayton County pond
A massive 17-hour search ended in heartbreak Monday morning when Clayton County police recovered the body of a missing 6-year-old boy from a pond near his apartment complex.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A massive search ended in tragedy Monday after rescue crews recovered the body of a missing 6-year-old non-verbal boy from a Clayton County pond.
6-year-old Ramon Jett shortly before he went missing on June 28, 2026. (Credit: Makayla Dale)
What we know:
Six-year-old Ramon Jett, who goes by the nickname "RJ," went missing Sunday between 11:30 a.m. and noon. He was staying at the Sutter Lake Apartments at 8104 Webb Road in Riverdale.
His mother, Ashleigh Harris, said Ramon was staying with his older sister after going swimming the day before. The siblings woke up from a nap and found the front door open and Ramon gone.
PREVIOUS STORY: Search for missing non-verbal 6-year-old in Clayton County continues
Search teams and family members immediately started a massive search using specialized teams and tactical gear to comb the area. Crews later found the child's body in a nearby pond, next to the apartment complex, according to Clayton County police.
Recovery effort details
Dig deeper:
Clayton County police said in a Monday afternoon briefing that teams spotted a body in Sand Pond and later confirmed the body was Ramon's around 9:20 a.m.
Ramon's body was recovered from roughly 125 yards away from where he was last seen.
The massive search operation involved extensive collaboration across county lines. Because Clayton County did not have bloodhound tracking dogs available, neighboring agencies from Spalding County and Fayette County stepped in to supply their specialized tracking teams.
Police said officials also received support from community members during the search.
"There were a lot of citizens coming up, helping. They were bringing the officers water, trying to keep them hydrated as well so they can keep on searching. It means a lot to us. You know, the police force and law enforcement are just an extension of the community. Because we all live in the communities as well, you know. So, we're glad to be out there with our fellow citizens," the police said.
Clayton police update on recovery effort for missing child
At 9:20 a.m. on Monday, emergency teams officially spotted missing 6-year-old Ramon Jett and recovered his body from Sand Pond. The location was found to be roughly 125 yards away from the spot where the nonverbal boy first vanished.
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet shared what caused the boy to get out of the apartment or the exact cause of his death. It remains unclear how long the child had been in the water before rescue teams located him.
A definitive cause of death has not yet been established. The Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office arrived at the scene and is transferring the child's body to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) crime lab for an official autopsy.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Clayton County Police Department and prior FOX 5 reporting.