Search radius expands Friday for missing boy in Little River

Crews from throughout South Carolina and even North Carolina continued searching Friday morning for a 4-year-old autistic boy who went missing more than 36 hours earlier.

“This immediate area is completely cleared,” said Lisa Bourcier, spokeswoman for Horry County, shortly after 7 a.m. Friday. “They’ve looked in bushes, doggy doors, dog houses, anything and everything a small child can go inside. So they feel very confident about the neighborhood. ... There are a couple of neighborhoods, back through here, Lafayette and River Hills, are areas of focus for the volunteers [Friday].”

Jayden Morrison was missing the day before Christmas in Little River while he was visiting his grandmother for the holiday.

His parents and grandmother tearfully pleaded Thursday for his safe return, while hundreds of emergency workers and volunteers combed the Hidden Lakes neighborhood and woods for clues about the boy, who is autistic and nonverbal.