CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) — It has been 16 years since a 9-year-old disabled boy went missing, and now, his father is charged in the child’s presumed death.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Louis County prosecutors on Thursday charged 46-year-old Dawan Ferguson with first-degree murder. He is jailed without bail and doesn’t have a listed attorney.
Christian Ferguson had a rare disorder that prevented his body from processing protein. He couldn’t walk or talk.
A probable cause statement says Dawan Ferguson failed to provide Christian with proper medication and nutrition for more than two years, before leaving home with the child on June 11, 2003. Christian was never seen again. Court documents say he would have died within 48 hours without proper medication.
Authorities have not said what led to charges being filed.
