<p class="speakable">Officials have reportedly identified a possible cause of death for a 4-year-old <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/us-regions/southeast/alabama" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Alabama boy</a> who was found dead days after he was reported missing on New Year’s Eve.</p><p class="speakable">A preliminary autopsy report indicates that Johnathan Boley's death is consistent with hypothermia, Walker County Coroner Joey Vick said this week, according to <a href="https://www.wbrc.com/2026/01/09/preliminary-autopsy-results-show-probable-cause-4-year-old-johnathan-boleys-death/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Fox affiliate WBRC</a> and <a href="https://www.wvtm13.com/article/alabama-missing-boy-johnathan-boley-autopsy-hypothermia/69949953" rel="noopener" target="_blank">NBC affiliate WVTM</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/crime/police-and-law-enforcement" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Investigators noted</a> that the child had removed his shoes and said drowning was not suspected, WTVM reported.</p><p>A final autopsy report has not yet been released. </p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/missing-4-year-old-florida-boy-found-dead-after-massive-3-day-search-alabama-woods" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>MISSING 4-YEAR-OLD FLORIDA BOY FOUND DEAD AFTER MASSIVE 3-DAY SEARCH IN ALABAMA WOODS</strong></a></p><p>Boley’s funeral is scheduled for Jan. 10, according to WBRC.</p><p>Hypothermia is a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health" rel="noopener" target="_blank">life-threatening condition</a> that occurs when the body is exposed to freezing temperatures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).</p><p>Johnathan Everett Boley was reported missing on Dec. 30 after he wandered away from a rural property along Highway 195 near Jasper, Alabama, while playing outside with his dog, Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith said during a news conference.</p><p>Following a multi-day search involving hundreds of law enforcement officers, volunteers, K-9 teams, drones and aircraft, searchers found the child’s body on Jan. 2 roughly two miles from the home, officials said. </p><p>The dog was located alive nearby.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/father-arrested-drug-weapons-charges-4-year-old-son-found-dead-after-new-years-disappearance" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>FATHER ARRESTED ON DRUG, WEAPONS CHARGES AS 4-YEAR-OLD SON FOUND DEAD AFTER NEW YEAR'S DISAPPEARANCE</strong></a></p><p>"This is not the outcome anyone hoped for," Smith said at the time. "Our hearts go out to this family and everyone who worked tirelessly to bring this child home."</p><p>Johnathan Boley and his siblings <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/us-regions/southeast/florida" rel="noopener" target="_blank">live with their mother in Florida</a> and were visiting their father for the holidays under a custody arrangement, authorities said.</p><p>Boley's father, Jameson Kyle Boley, 40, of Jasper, Alabama, has been charged with <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/crime" rel="noopener" target="_blank">felony chemical endangerment of a child</a> and unlawful manufacture of a destructive device, according to Walker County District Court records obtained by Fox News Digital.</p><p>Law enforcement officials have said that the destructive-device charge is not related to the death of his son.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/watch-missing-florida-child-recovered-after-violent-traffic-stop-high-speed-chase" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>WATCH: MISSING FLORIDA CHILD RECOVERED AFTER VIOLENT TRAFFIC STOP AND HIGH-SPEED CHASE</strong></a></p><p>"At this time, there is no evidence indicating foul play in the child’s death, and these charges should not be conflated with the search for Johnathan," Smith said during a news conference.</p><p><a href="https://foxnews.onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP</strong></a></p><p>The Walker County Coroner's office and the Walker County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.</p><p><i>Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.</i></p>