St. Louis investigators search wooded area for missing boy

KINLOCH, Mo. -- Investigators from the FBI and St. Louis area police departments on Tuesday searched a wooded area in suburban St. Louis looking for a 9-year-old boy missing for more than two months.

Investigators said they found nothing of note while searching for the body of Christian Ferguson for several hours near the Second Missionary Baptist Church. The search included police dogs and more than 100 investigators. Spokesmen for the FBI and St. Louis Police Department said they expected the search to resume today.

Christian has been missing since June 11, when his father, Dawan Ferguson, reported him missing. Ferguson said Christian was in the back seat of his sport utility vehicle, which he said was stolen from a parking lot while he talked on a pay telephone. The SUV was found later that morning about five miles from where Dawan Ferguson reported it missing.

Investigators set up a command post on the parking lot of the Kinloch church around 7 a.m. Tuesday, but found nothing before ending the search Tuesday afternoon. Spokesman Peter Krusing of the FBI in St. Louis refused to say what led investigators to search the area.

Christian, who suffers from a rare protein-digestive disorder, can't communicate, manage his personal needs or move far on his own power. Medical experts have said he would not survive much more than a day without his medication.