Authorities have launched an investigation into the death of a 3-year-old boy who went missing from his babysitter’s home in Massachusetts and was found dead in 5 feet of water on Wednesday.
According to reports, Harry Kkonde went missing from his babysitter’s house in Lowell, Massachusetts, on Tuesday morning, sparking a massive search in the process. His body was discovered in a nearby pond at Ronald Perron’s farm just 650 feet from the home he was last seen in on Wednesday afternoon.
“I don’t weep a lot,” Perron said, “but boy, it was a shock. I never imagined they’d come across this kid in my pond.”
More than 700 people attended a candlelight memorial for Harry on Friday in Lowell. By Wednesday night, dozens of people had gathered to pay tribute to the child with balloons and flowers.
According to reports, family members described the missing Ugandan immigrant child as humble and quiet. His disappearance sparked a community-wide search for him.
“We had hoped that he would come home alive,” said family friend Maureen Kalemba. “Knowing Harry had just drowned in that pool was heartbreaking.”
According to authorities, Harry was dropped off at the babysitter’s house around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday. He was last seen by a neighbor playing in the yard around 9:15 a.m. And by 9:30 am the babysitter reported him missing. The babysitter was also watching another child at the time.
Carlisle Police Chief John Fisher, the incident commander for the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council Regional Response Team, stated, “We have a very small window of time he went missing.”
The search began at the house and continued into a nearby state forest in all directions on Wednesday.
Around 200 people helped with the search. Neighbors were reportedly told to inspect their surveillance video, doorbell cameras, property, and cars. On Tuesday, 180 officers from various police departments searched the area. According to Fisher, the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Unit promised assistance.
Authorities searched the pond on Tuesday, but there was no sign of Harry. In the same way, two police dogs tracked the boy’s scent to the woods behind the house. According to reports, investigators do not suspect any mischief.
According to police, Harry was last seen wearing a long-sleeve maroon shirt and gray colored pants with a white stripe.
Harry’s father told WCVB on phone in an interview prior to the discovery of his missing son’s body, “He’s active. He likes going outside. When he’s at home, he goes to the yard and plays. He’s a healthy kid but he can’t speak. He’s trying to learn how to speak, but he can’t talk.”

“We’re feeling depleted,” Kalemba said. “There are no words to describe how we feel.”
The Middlesex District Attorney, Marian Ryan, stated that detectives are now focused on “finding out what happened” to Harry.
“Even though the pond is in a direct line from the house, we have no idea where he went, where he may have traveled, or what time he might have returned by that pond,” she explained. “It’s just that we don’t know.”