Asheboro community grieves loss of 7-year-old found in pond

RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — The Randolph County Community is grieving after the tragic loss of 7-year-old Liam King. 

Liam went missing Sunday morning from his mom’s boyfriend’s house on Forest Hill Drive.

A search crew found him in a pond Tuesday afternoon. Now, people are feeling the weight of his loss. 

“Our prayers just went up that they would find him and find him alive, but it didn’t turn out that way, and it’s so sad,” said a community member, Ava Craven.

Craven said the moment she got an alert message Sunday evening about Liam’s disappearance, it became all she could think about. 

She said she’s sympathetic to those who were closest to him, especially as a parent. 

Mike Craven said that while working at the Flea Marketeers of Asheboro, he knows he’ll hear firsthand just how much this has impacted the community. 

“It’s sad, especially when you have grandchildren that age or older, and you’ve had children that age before,” Craven said. 

Wellness Administrator for Randolph County Dr. Kristi Wallace is working to bring support to those who were on the scene, searching for more than 48 hours.

Those involved span from law enforcement to the emergency management team. Some of those people might not have ever set foot on the scene, but every single person involved can feel the grief. 

“This started on a weekend, so many of these people are called from their families. They arrive on scene. They’re 100 percent present … 24 hours pass, 48 hours pass, and here we are beyond that 48-hour mark, and while we’ve seen a little bit of closure for some first responders, it just started,” Wallace said. 

While Liam may have been found, an investigation is only in the early stages. 

The county has called in its Critical Incident Stress Management team. 

“That is an opportunity for all responders in any capacity to this event to come together and to debrief,” Wallace said. 

A spokesperson with the sheriff’s office said some first responders were on site from start to finish to find Liam.

Now it’s time for them to be able to get closure, so they’re better prepared to serve their community.