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Shocking live TV moment dad is told missing son has been found in his basement

Home> News> Crime

Published 18:55 1 Aug 2025 GMT+1

Shocking live TV moment dad is told missing son has been found in his basement

Bothuell could be seen clutching his chest in shock as he stumbled over his words

Lucy Devine

Lucy Devine

Shocking footage of a dad being told his missing son had been found in his own basement following an extensive search by the FBI and local police has resurfaced online.

Back in 2014, Charles Bothuell IV, from Detroit, reported his son Charles Bothuell V, 12, missing.

The case led to an FBI investigation, with an 11-day search coming to an end when the child was found in the family basement.

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When Bothuell was told about his son's whereabouts, he was actually live on TV, with cameras recording his reaction.

Appearing on HLN at the time, host Nancy Grace broke the news to Bothuell, explaining that the team had just had received reports that the youngster had been found in his father's basement.

Grace tells Bothuell: "Charlie, we are getting reports that your son has been found in your basement.

"Sir... Mr Bothuell, we are getting reports that your son has been found alive in your basement."

Bothuell responds, looking completely perplexed but stumbling over his words, telling Grace: "What?"

"Yeah, we're getting that right now," says Grace.

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"How could your son be alive in your basement?"

"I have no idea," says Bothuell, and can be seen clutching his chest in shock.

He also added: "I've checked the basement, the FBI has checked the basement, the Detroit Police checked my basement, my wife checked my basement."

Bothuell appeared shocked on camera (HLN)
Bothuell appeared shocked on camera (HLN)

According to court documents, the child claimed his stepmother, Monique Dollard-Bothuell had sent him to the basement and told him 'not to come out, no matter what he hears'.

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Bothuell meanwhile was accused of forcing his son to do exhausting exercise regimes every day, including curling heavy weights and hundreds of sit ups.

Following the astonishing case, both Bothuell and Dillard-Bothuell were charged with torture and second-degree child abuse, although the former charge was dismissed.

Bothuell pleaded guilty to the charge of fourth-degree child abuse, in return for a charge of second-degree child abuse being dropped. The case against Dillard-Bothuell was dropped.

Charlie was found after 11 days (HLN)
Charlie was found after 11 days (HLN)

Bothuell also admitted to beating his son with a pipe and was given 18 months of probation.

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He had to take part in anger management classes and lost custody of his son.

In a hearing, defense lawyers said the child had plenty of opportunities to leave the basement, and claimed he ran away from home.

However, prosecutor Carin Goldfarb said the 12-year-old was a 'prisoner in his home'.

"He was so terrorized, even when the police were looking for him he did not speak up," Goldfarb said.

Featured Image Credit: HLN

Topics: News, US News, Parenting, Crime

Lucy Devine
Lucy Devine

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