An eight-year-old boy, Noah Bush, drowned in Wayne County, Georgia after being led into a water-filled construction pit by two boys aged 10 and 11. The case has stirred debates concerning the juvenile justice system and potential racial motivations.
The tragic incident occurred on May 15, 2024 when Noah Bush, along with the two older boys, entered a restricted construction site. Noah’s body was discovered the following day in a borrow pit, a hole dug for construction materials.
Initially thought to be an accident, the case took a turn when the 11-year-old boy confessed under oath to leading Noah to the pit, pushing him in, and holding him under water until he drowned. Due to his age, his identity remains undisclosed. He was charged with involuntary manslaughter, simple battery, concealing a death, and criminal trespass. On August 22, 2024, he was sentenced to the maximum juvenile penalty in Georgia: two years in a detention facility.
The younger boy was also involved in concealing Noah’s death and was sentenced to a two-year detention on July 12, 2024, in Wayne County Juvenile Court.
“This 11-year-old admitted under oath that he led Noah Bush to the clay pits, pushed him into the water, and ultimately held his head under until he drowned,” said Francys Johnson, the family’s attorney.
The Bush family has publicly expressed their dissatisfaction with the sentencing, asserting that it does not deliver justice for their son’s death. Demetrice Bush, Noah’s mother, has criticized the two-year penalty as inadequate, questioning Georgia’s justice system.
Believing the crime was racially motivated, with Noah, a Black child, being killed by two White boys, the family continues to pursue further legal action. Attorney Mawuli Mel Davis notes that the legal process has not concluded and insists that adults who may have misled the family should be fully prosecuted. The investigation into the role of adults, including Natalie Hardison, the 11-year-old’s mother, remains ongoing. She faces charges of probation violation and making false statements, although these charges are not directly related to Noah’s death.
A GoFundMe campaign initiated by Noah’s second-grade teacher, Gracie Yoder, has raised over $15,000 to assist the family with expenses. Despite the sentencing, the Bush family’s pursuit of justice persists.
