What Happened to Noah McIntosh?

Police suspect 8-year-old Noah McIntosh met a particularly gruesome death at the hands of his father, Bryce McIntosh sometime between March 3 and March 4, 2019. Surveillance footage obtained by police shows Bryce purchasing acidic drain cleaner, muriatic acid, drain cleaner, and other items from a Corona, CA, Home Depot.

Noah Missing

Noah was last seen alive on March 4. His mother, Jillian Marie Godfrey, called the police to report him missing on March 12. She requested a welfare check on the boy, telling police she last saw her son on this day when she dropped him off with his father. Bryce notified Jillian that Noah had vanished but that he did not call the police.

I Want a Lawyer

Police visited the apartment of Bryce McIntosh but he refused to open the door. Police called him on his cellphone but he refused to speak. After obtaining a search warrant, police returned the next day. Bryce and his 10-year-old daughter walked out of the home, Bryce saying “I want a lawyer” and nothing else.

Investigators confiscated cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices during the search. They found stained yellow towels, schoolwork with “Noah M.” written on it, handcuffs, and zip ties. Inside Bryce’s BMW, police found purple latex gloves.

Police Find Evidence

Police found a wealth of evidence in Bryce’s cellphone, including searches about “normal heart rate for an 8-year-old” and “how sodium hydroxide works.” He also searched for terms such as sulfuric acid. Data from the phone showed Bryce traveled to an area about 60 miles from his home in Aguanga.

At this location, police discovered a 32-gallon trash can, a document with “Noah M.” written on it, and purple latex gloves similar to those found in Bryce’s BMW. They also found a Ninja blender, empty bottles of drain and oven cleaners, cleaning wipes, yellow towels, and a plastic bag with what appeared to be blood residue inside. A K9 officer alerted people to human remains in the trash can.

The 10-year-old girl told police that her brother was missing but that she was not home when he disappeared. Instead, she had been staying at her grandfather’s home for a couple of weeks. When police spoke to the grandfather, Steve McIntosh, he told them his son had told him that Noah was missing but did not report him missing.

He went on to say that he attempted to visit his grandson on March 5, but when he called Bryce to ask if he could come over, he refused, saying they both were sick and in bed with a case of food poisoning.

The grandfather did not reach out to the police.

Jillian Changes Her Story

Speaking to Jillian a second time, police learned that she had stayed in the home with Bryce and Noah from March 1 until March 4. She changed her story, now telling police she last saw Noah on March 2 when Bryce took him into the bathroom. She recalled Noah asking Bryce why he was hurting him. Jillian said she left the home the following day but Noah still had not come out of the bathroom. Before leaving, Bryce told Jillian he needed to pick up a few items from Home Depot. Police obtained surveillance footage from the home improvement store once she revealed these details.

Police searched Jillian’s phone and found evidence of abuse, including instances when he was made to sit in cold water for hours at a time. The 10-year-old girl confirmed that Noah was often punished with his feet up. Police charged her with child abuse and took her into custody. She was released from jail on her own recognizance after pleading guilty to two counts of child cruelty. She is scheduled to be sentenced in October 2022.

Bryce was charged with murder in Noah’s death.

Bryce is currently awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains that he had nothing to do with his son’s disappearance. He faces the death penalty if convicted of the charges against him.

Noah’s body has still not been recovered.

Case Information & Resources:

https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/crime_courts/2019/12/19/noah-mcintoshs-mother-pleads-guilty-child-endangerment/2703522001/