4-Year-Old Utah Boy Found Dead in Toy Chest Died by Suffocation After Accidentally Getting Trapped, Police Say

The 4-year-old Utah boy who was believed to have mysteriously disappeared after being put to bed by his grandmother on Saturday night only to be found dead in a toy chest died from positional asphyxiation, officials said. 

Kache Wallis was initially believed to have gone missing, and his disappearance prompted an extensive search by family, friends and multiple agencies. His body was discovered later in a small toy chest in his bedroom, officials said.

Kache died from positional asphyxiation and his death was ruled accidental by the Utah Medical Examiner’s office, according to a news release by the Hurricane Police Department.

Positional asphyxia is a form of mechanical asphyxia, which occurs when a person is immobilized in a position and can’t get enough air to breathe, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Described as a “fun-loving free-spirited little boy,” Kache had last seen on Saturday night when he was put into his bed in his home in Hurricane, Utah, about 290 miles away from Salt Lake City, the Hurricane City Police Department said.

But Kache’s grandmother later saw he was not in bed and could not be found in or around the house. When family and friends were unable to locate the little boy, they called police, the Hurricane Police said in a news release. 

Multiple agencies including the Hurricane Valley Fire Department and Washington County Search and Rescue searched inside and outside the home for the little boy. It was during their second search of the home that police found Kache in the small toy chest. 

Kache’s tragic passing has been heartbreaking for family members of the little boy, affectionately known as “Bubba.”

“Kache had a smile that was infectious and loved everyone, everywhere he went, and they loved him too! 'My name is Kache with K,' is what he would say,” said Sarah Jones, who organized a GoFundMe page to help the family pay for his funeral.

“He was the glue that held it all together for us, we just don't know what we are going to do without him," she continued.

As of Wednesday, nearly $8,600 had been raised towards their goal of $10,000.

“Our sincerest condolences are sent to Kache and his family,” the Hurricane Police statement said.

Related Stories