Just days after five-year-old Indi Bullock, a nonverbal child on the autism spectrum, was found dead in a retention pond near his family’s apartment complex, his grieving mother is now facing a wave of harassment and death threats from online strangers accusing her of wrongdoing.
The heartbreaking discovery followed a multi-agency search that began shortly after Indi was reported missing. Gwinnett County Police confirmed that divers from the Hall County Sheriff’s Department recovered the boy’s body from a retention pond located just a few hundred yards from the family’s apartment on Sweetwater Road.
According to initial findings by the medical examiner, no foul play is suspected, and preliminary reports indicate Indi likely drowned. A full autopsy is pending.
A Mother Under Siege
For Chakia Carter, Indi’s mother, the pain of losing her child has been compounded by threats and accusations hurled at her on social media and through phone calls.
“People have been calling my phone ridiculously and sending messages through Facebook, basically saying it was my fault because I was the one at home,” Carter told FOX 5 Atlanta.
Fighting back tears, she defended herself:
“Everything I do is in the name of my children. I would never harm them. I would never do anything to purposely hurt them.”
Carter described Indi as a sweet boy who loved music, food, and sharing his affection with loved ones. The family is now trying to support Indi’s surviving twin brother, who is also on the spectrum.
Authorities have not yet confirmed how Indi reached the pond. The final autopsy results will determine the official cause and manner of death in the coming days.
How to Help
While funeral arrangements have not been announced, the family has launched an online fundraiser to help cover expenses as they cope with their loss.
