Mom of 14-Year-Old Boy Faced ‘Living Nightmare’ Before He Was Found Dead in Storm Drain 6 Days After He Vanished

The mother of a 14-year-old boy who was found dead in a storm drain six years ago has told a court she sensed something “wasn’t right” when her son failed to answer his cell phone, according to details aired at a new hearing.

Noah Donohoe left his home in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on his bicycle at about 5:40 p.m. local time on June 21, 2020. His body was discovered six days later, according to Ireland’s national public service broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Eireann (RTÉ).

An autopsy later ruled the cause of death as drowning, RTÉ reported.

A hearing examining how Noah died opened on Thursday, Jan. 22, at Belfast coroner’s court. In a video interview played for the court, Noah’s mother, Fiona Donohoe, said she began to worry when he didn’t respond to calls, per The Guardian.

“My instinct told me something wasn’t right,” she said in the recording, according to the outlet. “I was concerned that Noah had been a bit down and more emotional than usual.”

In a police call played in court — made when she reported him missing — Donohoe said she had been deeply worried about her son’s mental health in the week leading up to his disappearance, according to The Irish Times.

She also described seeing him crying earlier on the day he vanished, but said he told her he was laughing when she asked why he was upset, the outlet reported.

Donohoe told the operator his disappearance was “so unlike him,” adding that he had never gone missing before, per the paper.

“Over the last week, he has not been himself at all. I am really concerned for his safety,” she said, according to The Irish Times. “He has been so up and down, his moods have been so out of character. All this day, he’s been really huggy.”

Donohoe described the period between reporting Noah missing and the discovery of his body as a “living nightmare,” according to the video statement played in court, per The Guardian.

Noah — a student at St. Malachy’s College — had taken a khaki rucksack with him that contained a laptop and a copy of 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson, The Guardian reported. His mother notified authorities about four hours after he left home, reportedly believing he was going to meet friends.

Investigators later suggested he may have fallen from his bicycle, with CCTV showing him cycling through an area about three miles from his home, The Guardian reported. It was believed he had not previously been in that area.

The footage also appeared to show Noah cycling naked after discarding his clothing, rucksack, and cell phone on the day he disappeared, the outlet reported. Police have previously said there was no evidence of foul play.

At Thursday’s hearing, the court heard that a child of Noah’s build would have been able to slip through the bars at the entrance of the storm drain where he was found, RTÉ reported.

The coroner had also previously released additional CCTV footage last October showing Noah leaving home in the early hours of the morning — around 3:34 a.m. on the day he disappeared — wearing a T-shirt and shorts and carrying headphones, The Guardian reported. He was then seen returning home around 4:08 a.m., barefoot and without the headphones, the outlet said.

In the video statement, Donohoe said she could not explain where he went during that time, adding that she was “holding out hope” the inquest would bring answers, according to The Guardian. “The news that he had been out that night took me completely by surprise,” she said, per RTÉ.

During the recorded statement — said to have lasted about 90 minutes — Donohoe paid tribute to her son, saying, “We were a team in every aspect of our lives together,” RTÉ reported.

“I miss every detail of my beautiful darling Noah,” she said.

Donohoe also questioned in court whether investigators ignored evidence that did not align with a theory that her son suffered a concussion after a fall from his bicycle, RTÉ reported.

The hearing is ongoing.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesperson, asked for comment, said it would be inappropriate to discuss the case while the inquest continues.