Boys, 10 and 11, convicted in drowning death of 8-year-old neighbor. Family wants ‘full justice’

The body of second-grader Noah Bush was found at the bottom of a construction pit on May 16

• A 10-year-old and an 11-year-old boy – whose names have not been released – have both been sentenced to two years in juvenile detention for their roles in the drowning death of 8-year-old Noah Bush.

• In juvenile court last week, the 11-year-old, who is white, told the judge that he pushed Noah, who is Black, into a county well and then held his head underwater, said Mawuli Davis, an attorney representing Noah’s family who attended the hearing.

• According to Davis, the 11-year-old’s mother, Natalie Hardison, has also been charged with making false statements to police.

At first, investigators thought 8-year-old Noah Bush had accidentally fallen into a construction pit and drowned in Jesup, Ga. in May. Then, in July, law enforcement discovered something far more sinister.

A 10-year-old and an 11-year-old boy — whose names have not been released — have both been convicted in connection with the drowning of the second-grader, Mawuli Davis, one of the attorneys representing Noah’s family, tells PEOPLE.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. District Attorney Keith Higgins declined to comment on the case or confirm facts of the case, which were mentioned in an email to him, citing the involvement of minors.

In juvenile court last week, the 11-year-old, who is white, told the judge he pushed the black child into the county pit and then held his head underwater, said Davis, who attended the hearing. Proceedings and court records related to juvenile cases are largely closed to the public.

After the child was taken in, he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, assault, concealing the death of another and trespassing, which resulted in a two-year sentence in a juvenile detention center, the maximum sentence allowed based on his age, Davis said.

During the sentencing hearing on Thursday, August 22, Noah’s mother, Demetrice Bush, gave a victim impact statement, a copy of which her attorneys released to PEOPLE, in which she mourned the loss of her “little boy with dreams of being someone great, only to have those dreams shattered for no reason.”

Referring to the 11-year-old boy in court, Demetrice added: “Although he knows right from wrong, although he lied to keep himself out of trouble because he knew what he was doing was wrong, he is being treated like a victim while it is my son who is dead.”

Last month, the 10-year-old, who is also white, was found guilty of trespassing and covering up the death of another person and sentenced to two years in a juvenile facility, Davis said.

According to Davis, the 11-year-old girl’s mother, Natalie Hardison, has also been charged with making false statements to police.

Hardison’s incarceration record is not publicly available online with other local inmates “for her safety,” jail administrator Terry Mays tells PEOPLE, confirming that she remains in Wayne County Custody. The schedule for her next court appearance was not immediately clear.

Noah’s family reported him missing on May 15 after he didn’t return from playing outside, Davis tells PEOPLE.

Investigators found Noah’s body a day later after pumping out a county well, which was within walking distance of Noah’s home and was not properly fenced, Davis said.

Among those who had witnessed the desperate search for Noah were the 11-year-old—who, Davis said, knew the child had sunk into the bottom of the well—as well as his mother’s partner. All three boys were neighbors, and Noah had been friends with the 10-year-old for two years, Davis said.

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According to the family’s attorneys, the sheriff at the time stated that there was no foul play and that Noah had fallen into the well and drowned.

But Noah’s family — who didn’t believe the 8-year-old, who was consciously afraid of large puddles of water, would have entered the well of his own free will — pushed for a more thorough investigation “and were ultimately proven right,” Davis explained.

Davis says the incident — which occurred about 30 miles from Glynn County, where Ahmaud Arbery was killed in a racially motivated attack while jogging in a South Georgia neighborhood in 2020 — sparked outrage in the multiracial community, with protesters gathering in downtown Jesup every week since Noah’s death.

Protesters continue to call for adults involved in the case to be held accountable, said Davis, who praised Noah’s mother and community protesters for “not covering this up.”

Davis also says his law firm is continuing to gather evidence that they plan to turn over to the FBI soon, in addition to potential civil lawsuits, to seek “full justice” for Noah’s family.

PEOPLE asked the district attorney if the incident was being investigated as a hate crime. Higgins also declined to comment.

Gracie Yoder, Noah’s second-grade teacher, described Noah on a GoFundMe page as “a bright, kind, and loving child” who loved soccer, basketball and video games and was known for “giving out endless hugs.”

“His light was bright and his smile was infectious,” Yoder wrote, adding, “He will be sorely missed and this loss will leave a hole in so many hearts.”

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