A former Buckeye mom is behind bars in connection to the death of her adoptive son, 10-year-old Jesse Wilson. Buckeye police arrested 54-year-old Crystal Wilson in Gainesville, Georgia yesterday afternoon. She will now face a charge of abandonment or concealment of a dead body.
On July 18th, 2016, Wilson told police Jesse had run away from their home near 239th Ave and Twilight Trail after she had put him to bed for the night. For months, Buckeye police searched for Jesse with help from volunteers and law enforcement agencies including the FBI. Jesse was not located.
On March 8th, 2018, Jesse’s skeletal remains were found on the side of the road near Broadway and Oglesby. Forensics officials were unable to determine the cause and manner of death.
In November of 2020, the Buckeye Police Department assigned the case to a new investigator to reexamine the facts, conduct follow up, obtain additional evidence and work closely with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to explore new angles in the case.
The department submitted a case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for review of criminal charges. On December 9th, a Maricopa County Grand Jury indicted Wilson on one count of abandonment or concealment of a body. An arrest warrant was issued, and Buckeye police investigators, with assistance from the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Gainesville Police Department, took Wilson into custody yesterday afternoon. She will be extradited to Maricopa County for prosecution.
The Buckeye Police Department thanks all of our law enforcement partners and countless members of the public who invested their time in multiple searches or provided information to assist this investigation.
