Police confirm lagoon bodies are boys missing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Saturday, April 15, 2006 

Police in Milwaukee, Wisconsin have confirmed that the bodies of two children recovered yesterday from a small pond in McGovern Park are indeed those of Purvis Parker, 11, and Quadrevion Henning, 12, who lived nearby. The two boys were reported missing nearly a month ago.

Police had shown photos of the two bodies to Parker's mother, Angela Virginia, who said she believed that the bodies were those of the two missing boys. Today's autopsy confirms their identities, and lists drowning as the cause of death. Police have said there is no evidence to suggest foul play.

"Honestly I don't think there was any foul play. That makes it kind of nice for the family that they weren't held against their own will," said Dennis Frazier, Henning's uncle.

"It looks like it has been in the lagoon for quite some time," said Nan Hegerty, Chief of the Milwaukee Police, when the first body was found. According to Hegerty, two people walking in the park spotted the first body at around 7:23 p.m. CDT on Friday. The second body was found at about 10 p.m. CDT by divers for the police department. Both boys were fully clothed when found.

According to Hegerty, the pond where the bodies were found had been checked several times in the past.

"Apparently that body too had come up to the surface and was caught in a somewhat of a weedy, wooded area of the lagoon," added Hegerty.

Both boys had been missing since March 19, 2006.

Sources

• "Autopsy: Missing boys drowned" — CNN.com, April 15, 2006

• Colin Fly. "Boys' bodies found in Milwaukee lagoon" — Boston Globe, April 15, 2006

• Roger Schneider, Reuters. "Update 5: Mother: Bodies Are Missing Milwaukee Boys" — Forbes, April 15, 2006

• "Bodies Found In Milwaukee Lagoon" — CBS News, April 15, 2006

• "2 bodies found in Milwaukee" — Chicago Tribune, April 15, 2006