Jesse Wilson: Criminal case against adoptive mother 'will not be moving forward at this time'

BUCKEYE, Ariz. - Buckeye Police officials say a criminal case against the adoptive mother of a missing boy who was later found dead will not be moving forward at this time.

We have reported in recent years on the disappearance of Jesse Wilson, as well as subsequent developments in the case. Wilson disappeared from his Buckeye home during the early morning hours of July 18, 2016, and his remains were subsequently found in 2018, about six miles away from the home. 

In December 2022, Wilson's adoptive mother, 54-year-old Crystal Wilson, was arrested at her Georgia home, and she was subsequently extradited to Maricopa County.

In their statement, Buckeye Police officials shared their reason for not proceeding with the case.

"While Buckeye police worked closely with prosecutors to secure a grand jury indictment and make an arrest, it has been determined the evidence would not be enough to secure a conviction. We thank the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for their assistance," read a portion of the statement.

Police officials in Buckeye, however, stressed that this remains an active homicide investigation, and that the department will not give up on the case.

"This is a very complicated case, and we knew there would be challenges. The bottom line is Crystal Wilson is the only person who knows what happened to Jesse. Fortunately, the recent court action allows the Buckeye Police Department to present the case again when more information is developed," Buckeye Police officials wrote.