The thought of that boy in the chimney for nearly 4 weeks....the amount of decomposition that had already taken place...i cant imagine being the police officer that stuck their arm in the pipe and FELT HIM INSIDE...horrific. RIP little man 😢

I don't think he was necessarily trying to commit burglary. He wanted to skip school and thought that the empty house would be a good place to hang out for the day.

I don’t think he was a burglar. I think he was trying to hide so he didn’t have to go to school.

Poor boy. And he was so close to home all that time. I think it’s a clear example of death by misadventure; didn’t realize the dangers of navigating a chimney and when you’re that young, you don’t really grasp your own mortality 😢

No matter what I’m doing, I always look up to see if you look suspiciously to the side when you say “only speculating about what could be happening in a situation like this”

Poor boy suffered an agonizing death. I cannot imagine the panic that would set in realizing I was indefinitely stuck in a chimney with no way to call for help and no hope of a rescue. Great analysis and having compassion for ones mental illnesses should come naturally. It's hard to think some ppl wouldn't have compassion for this boy just because he was unlawfully entering this home. Thank you for another great video and all your hard work daily researching these cases and uploading new videos. You're the best KZfaqr out here, Dr. Grande.❤

My son had an almost similar diagnosis. I chose to homeschool and he thrived in that environment. Today he is a maritime electrician and doing well.

I still don't see how he could be so compressed and suffocate yet there were holes to push clothing out, and also remove his clothing. He might not have wanted to rob anyone, just hide out or explore a vacant house. Odd case that just seems to leave an uncomfortable feeling.

When I was 13-15, I used to do stuff like this fairly often. As wrong and disrespectful as my behavior was, my motivations really weren’t malicious. It was sheer boredom and a drive to explore. We humans are natural explorers. When you take a bored teenager and put them in a place in which there are no mysteries or adventures, they sometimes seek out shady opportunities to find their adventure. I remember climbing around on rooftops, climbing through ventilation shafts, and even using a makeshift grappling-hook to explore places I had no business being. I can 100% imagine myself doing the same thing this kid did. It’s impossible to excuse the behavior… especially now that I’m nearly 55 years-old and have an immense respect for other people’s property… but I can definitely give insight into what might have been going on in his mind. I was never out to burglarize anything. It was all about the exploration and curiosity. Simple adventure-seeking. I’m sure he knew that no one was living in the house, and he just wanted to explore.

How can we know that his intent was burglary? I can easily imagine a repeat "runaway" 14 yr old entering an empty house with the intention of squatting for a bit. My 14 yr old self would never have attempted the athleticism of chimney entry, but an escape from my daily life in a house all to me would've been dreamy.

What an unfortunate situation for poor Harley! Narrated with compassion and sensitivity, Dr.G.

Must have been horrifying forHarley once he realized his circumstance. RIP Harley

Poor Harley. What a terrible way to die. I feel bad for his parents too. They were used to him disappearing and reappearing and having to deal with his very odd behaviors and habits. It is hard enough dealing with a so-called normal child, so I'm sure it's triple hard dealing with a child with mental limitations who tends to act out over seemingly normal situations. They have my sympathies in losing their son in such a tragic way. Nobody should be heaping guilt on top of the guilt they probably already feel.

I live in Ohio, and Harleys death was traumatizing. To think that a child could die that way is terrifying.

Very sad case. 😢 I agree that compassion is in order not judgement. Thanks Dr. Grande

Just an horrific way to die. About thirty years ago, if I recall correctly, a kid about Harley’s age fell through a rotting floor in an abandoned grain elevator on the north shore of Lake Erie. The place should have been demolished years earlier. Kids used to climb up there and smoke pot and fool around with girls, etc. This poor kid fell into an air shaft and got trapped similarly to Harley. He must have been alone at the time, because nobody found him until months later, and the M. E. determined that he died slowly of dehydration and exposure. He might have taken a week or more to die. God rest the poor kid’s soul.

This absolutely breaks my heart, I can’t imagine the fear he felt in those last moments 😢

I’ve helped families that have kiddos who have the same issues Harley had. It’s difficult to explain, and every diagnosis is different, and impacts families differently. I don’t feel the parents were to blame.

How sad that the last thing his mom said to him was to get his a** to school. These types of fluke accidents are exactly why I always tell my son I love him when we part ways, even if we've had a disagreement or are upset. Thank you for your analysis Dr Grande. In this case, I disagree with your final analysis for three reasons. One, his friend saw him after school wearing the same clothes that were found with his body. This leads me to believe that two, he decided to "hide out" somewhere to get away from his parents, his father because he wouldn't buy him a new phone and his mother for not caring if he didn't feel well and responded the way she did. Three, they lived very close to this home, he probably saw that noone lived there and thought it was be a safe and easy place to hide out for a while. I do wonder why the police thought he went to the house before school if his friend saw him in the same clothes after school. Perhaps he skipped school and only went to the school for lunch and was seen leaving before getting in the chimney. Still so many questions.

His parents were wrong to deny him a new phone after his was lost. Also, 40 hours missing was too long for parents not to report it

Maybe the story of Santa entering homes through the chimney has caused a widespread belief that chimneys are a possible way to enter houses. They're not. Even if they are not being used for fires, they're built in a way that anyone would be stuck if they fell in from the roof.

Bravo! One of my kids had some of the same issues. It takes immense patience and a LOT of support. Missing one of those can lead to sad consequences. Our family was lucky, we had the means to obtain good therapy for all of us. (There was no health insurance coverage for autism back then. I'm so sad for Harley and his family, it could have been us. 😢

I'm autistic as well. I have a fear of heights, but when I was younger, I had a misperception of consequences.

Maybe he wasn’t committing a burglary. Maybe he just wanted someplace to hang out while he was supposed to be at school.

While what he was doing was technically a burglary, it seems fairly obvious to me he wasn't robbing the house. He wasn't committing a burglary in that sense.. He knew nobody lived there and probably didn't think it would be loaded with valuables. He was looking for a place to hang out so as not to be in school. IOW, he wanted to cut school in an abandoned house.

This is the saddest thing I’ve ever heard. Poor baby. 😥

RIP Harley🕊️

Love your work but have to admit I can't resist clicking on just to see what new cactuses you have. They're awesome.

So sad for Harley and his family. Your treatment of his story is very compassionate.

I don't think the boy was committing a burglary...he was just looking for a place to be while skipping school, a place where he wouldn't be seen....

I really like your take on this Doc. I have a hard time when people have no clue what’s going on and create so much chaos by creating conspiracies. They make a simple, but awful situation 1000x worse than what the reality is. RIP Harley 🕊️

This is just tragic! I’m so sorry to hear it happened. My heartfelt condolences go out to everyone who loved this young man. I wish I could help Harley’s parents to know that there are many of us out here who do not and would never blame you for what befell your son. I’m praying that as time goes by you’ll be able to get some peace of mind. I’m so very sorry for your loss. RIP Harley.🙏🏼❤️🕊

40 hours is a long time to not know or have seen or contacted your child. I understand going to friends houses or playing ect. But that's alot of unknown time. I couldn't.

Ugh !! .....these chimney deaths really creep me out !! The Joshua Maddux case is by far the most disturbing.

Unfortunately when reviewing his own videos on YT, you can see that things in the household like relationship dynamics were strained. I think mom and dad were fed up with him. I always say to embrace and get all the resources you can for your child early on. It just really helps especially when support services can teach you, the parents, how to de-escalate situations as anger, outbursts, or risks of leaving. His mom did lock him out of the house sometimes. I just think they needed more support and mom nor dad knew what to do. 😢 it really was a case that started long before.

I remember when this happened. It’s such a sad story. My youngest son had the same diagnoses except ODD. I wonder if Harley’s parents got help to learn how to help Harley? It doesn’t sound like it. They sound like they didn’t treat Harley very well. Kids on the spectrum, especially with comorbid dxs, need specialized care. Raising my youngest son wasn’t easy but, thankfully, we were able to get interventions for him and my husband and I. Today, he is in his 30s. He is independent, hard working and a decent person. He still struggles some but he is so much farther along than professionals predicted he would ever be.

I remember seeing this but didnt read it. Sad for Harley but glad they found him. Autism poses many challenges. Great points again. Thanks Dr G😊💟💟

My son has ADHD. It's really hard to deal with.

I didn’t realize how many people try this entry through the chimney method. If Dr. Grande is referring to the one in Los Angeles some teenager tried shimmining down the chimney of some girl he liked who was not interested in him. So he took it upon himself to trespass on her family’s home in an unusual manner. I don’t remember if the fire department had to dismantle the chimney but they did rescue him.

Ohio doesn’t have Caylee’s Law. In the 10 or so states that do, the parents could been charged for not reporting their child missing within 24 hours. It was introduced following the Casey Anthony trial.

Hi Dr Grande, good evening from Southern California. Excellent analysis. Thank you for supporting those of us with mental or brain disorders. As always I learn something new from your videos.

I think your coverage of this story could save lives since others have died in similar/the same way(s). I had no idea how chimneys worked and the myth of Santa Claus has obviously given children and adults the wrong idea about getting into a house that way. I’m so sorry he learned that lesson the hard way. So sad.

The challenge of parenting ASD children even those with mild traits and with parents with all the best intentions, knowledge and in a strong long lasting partnership should not be understated.

Raising Any child is full of hardships I cannot imagine their pain!

Most parents aren't ready to deal with kids with ASD. I know, I have ASD, my parents couldn't handle me.

1:04 - It looks like a spider descended on your left side (our right) next to your head, unless that’s just some fluff or something.

As someone who is changing their career from IT to becoming an LPC, I appreciate your videos and professional demeanor. I hope that when I graduate and get my Masters that I can approach my job with half of the professionalism and humor that you do. Thanks for your videos.

My son has similar issues. He makes, poor, dangerous at times decisions. He is 15 and doing better with danger but without supervision who knows what could happen. I am deeply saddened by this incident. 😢

everytime I hear about one of these deaths it makes me so sad .. such a lonely and frightening way to die! especially a child, my lord

I just wish he had more caring parents. Very sad. 😢

That’s incredibly sad. He was trying to hide and it went wrong.

1:34-1:35 Harley Dilly frequently took showers to keep himself clean, and he was found in a chimney that’s known to be very dirty and dusty so strange

Why is it assumed that his intent was to burglarize the house? In the absence of confirming evidence, it’s more likely he wanted to have his own space for a while to avoid school. My guess is that his previous “disappearances” occurred during warmer weather. Ohio Decembers are too cold to be outside for any extended period of time so he needed shelter. Individuals on the spectrum often want/need a quiet space when they’re feeling overstimulated or overwhelmed. This is a tragic case.

It just sounds exactly like something a young boy would do. I don't have any mental health syptoms (that I'm aware of) but the young me definitely got into some tight situations - just out of having an adventurous spirit and curiosity. When I was a boy, my friends and I used to jump off high rooftops and and trees, daring eachother to see who could jump from the highest point. Broken limbs resulted, and laughs were had. I could definitely see myself trying to slide down a chimney like santa claus.

Darwin award. May prove that naming more and more diagnoses of DSM-invented condition is ultimately the sound and the fury signifying nothing.

This is horrific that poor little teen boy ... bless his heart

I wonder if he was looking more to hide for the school day than rob the house.

Harley may not have been committing burglary. He didn't want to go to school, and he might have been looking for somewhere to stay. Maybe watch some TV inside that home. Since it was locked, he could only assume what he might find inside. It just seems reasonable to me, that he was looking for a place to "hang out", rather than burglarise.

Why the thought that he was stealing from the house? I have AuDhd and struggled horrificly in school. My parents would also lock me outside, even as a young child, I can relate to him a lot. When I skipped school to avoid rampant bullying, I would often go and spend the day in an abandoned factory close to home. Just because he was breaking in to an empty house doesn't mean he was stealing. From my own perspective he was looking for a safe place to spend the day alone, and went to great lengths not to be detected by avoiding a door and risking setting off an alarm or having to break anything. He just wanted some peace from the onslaught of fractured relationships and obligations he didn't sign up for.

I'm surprised someone didn't see him climbing up the house and on the roof. But then it may have only taken a couple of minutes.

What an heart wrenching tragedy. I cannot imagine the fear and suffering Harley endured in his final moments. Conspiracy theories touting alternative methods of Harley’s demise and attacking the police is hateful. Lastly, I can barely listen to the end when a scenario or story includes being inside small spaces. I’m claustrophobic and this gives me a visceral reaction.

how do you take your clothes off in a chinmey AND die of compressive asphyxiation? howd he get his clothes off?

Just a reminder, I'm not diagnosing anybody in this video; only speculating about what could be happening when cacti slowly sneak up on a KZfaq host like this.

i nailed the door to the laundry shoot closed because of this

Poor little guy. 😞

This one ....often I consider the heartache with which parents of children with rare "needs" live daily - moment by moment their struggles can seldom be shared with even family member members....they were my students-for 21 years and the helplessness is a sadness few know. It's very cold in Port Clinton...could have been 25 - 40 degrees below zero with the roaring wind chill factor. God help us all be a kinder community member....💔🎈

I could barely listdn to ghe end when i figured out how he passed! Such a terrible way to die!! Good job covering it Dr. Grande!

It was so dang cold, this case broke my heart- still does

How does one know he was intending to commit burglary? He could have been planning to hide from his parents for a while instead.

That poor little boy. Astonishing attitude from the parents.

Why do people assume he was robbing the place? He may have just been trying to find a place to skip school. Aside from that, I do think refusing to replace his phone was a mistake. They didn't have to load it up with apps or games or anything, but the ability to call or text for help might have saved his life.

His life had a lot of struggles due to his health issues. For sure we can’t judge his parents since we are not dealing with children like him. The whole thing was sad and tragic. RIP Harley 🥲

God this story kills me. Hate it. That poor boy. 😢

I understand the parents not calling police. Harley has vanished before so there was no reason to suspect he would not return this time. People in general have little to no common sense. The fact they jumped to a conclusion regarding the coat placement is a perfect example. This boy was out of control and impulsive. He likely figured he could hole up in the house awhile and go back home. Unfortunatly his impulsivness became his demise. It happens to people of all ages and blame can't be placed anywhere but at the adventurers feet.

I couldn’t finish this one, too sad. Hugs 😢

I think it was fine for the parents to say that he needed to earn a new smartphone, but they should have given him a basic handset for calls and texts. And not worrying about not seeing a fourteen-year-old for FORTY hours is absurd.

I think the coroner was being kind to the parents because if he had enough wiggle room to pull clothes off he likely died of dehydration and was alive a week. Poor kid, and poor parents to then have people accuse them as if losing a child (at all let alone in such an awful way) wasn't horrific enough.

Excellent wrap up doc.

I Soo look forward to hearing your ideas as to why certain things happen appreciate you analysis of the situations you cover

Man, I live near Toledo and this whole story was just messed up. It was sad how this poor kid met his demise :(

This is a great way to start my Sunday! Thanks Dr.G

That is horrifying. I'm sure he was just exploring while skipping school. I remember doing similar things as a kid out of boredom.

His poor parents. What were they supposed to do? The older the person gets the harder it is to protect them from themselves. A tragedy for all.

The jacket doesn't look like it was worn and removed in the tight dusty chimney space, and then been shoved through a tight dusty hole.

Why did people assume he tried to enter to rob the house? He would have known it was vacant. More likely he was exploring. Couldn't he be given the benefit of the doubt?

Thank Doctor G!! Very insightful!

Always interesting Thank you

So sad! RIP Harley!🙏❤

I’m going through this with my son😢behavior problems

Well said, Dr. Grande!

Ohhhh, how sad 😔 Dr Grande, I wish you & your family the best ever mad season. 🌲🌲🌲

This is a horrible tragedy no matter what. Just heartbreaking.

i've heard this story before but was missing a crucial piece of information (there was no fireplace). it was said his clothes were folded neatly next to the fireplace. that led to speculation that he had been murdered and his body stuffed up the fireplace. that might have been a better end for him? rip harley

So very sad.

This sounds terrible. Sad. Thanks so much for all the interesting video essays each day, Dr. Grande.❤ I look forward to your work and find it calms me down and is also always informative and interesting.❤

I think Harley wanted to hide out from his parents and not go to school that day. I didn't hear any evidence that he intended to steal anything inside the empty house.

So sad!

OH MY GOD!!!! This episode made me have anxiety attack, I can't imagine The horrible way he died just really made me feel like I couldn't breathe. ,

What a tragedy. Parents!! Do not feel too proud to seek help for your kids!!! A 14 year old running away for any length of time should be investigated and immediately dealt with. Allowing him time to ruminate in his dangerous thoughts by ignoring his destructive behavior is what caused his death. The parents inaction. The child’s school is also a problem. So much more could’ve been done to intervene on this child’s behalf

I live within 20 minutes of port clinton and this story makes my blood boil. The day he told his mom he didnt feel good she was in bed and didnt even look up. She didnt know the clothes he was wearing because she never seen him. The dad who was a garbage truck driver. His GPS coincidentally turned off for hours the day harley went missing where he also went and dropped a couch off at the landfill. Later when the parents were being investigated they went to the landfill where again coincidentally the couch he had dropped off was on fire. Also the chief of police and the dillys were good friends. And the chief tried to immediately clear them. As for the 41 hours that he was missing. No parent with an autistic child with behavioral issues is going to be ok with their kid being missing for damn near two days. There were also interviews where heather had to be reminded to thank people for searching for harley even though she never joined. As an autistic boy who didnt like being dirty i dont forsee him shoving himself in a dirty chimney especially when there was a broken basement window he couldve went through. They also released an autopsy report that stated there was no soot debris found in his lungs which that was quickly taken down from public eye. He had a youtube channel which one video was of him being locked out , another video of him saying how his mom had gotten mad and broke his glasses and a live stream when you heard the mother screaming and then started beating on him. Which of course had all been removed. The sister who the dillys have custody of her child rory made a video on how she doesnt believe her parents had nothing to do with Harleys death then later deleted her video making another telling everyone to leave the parents alone. The case was closed. The chimney was immediately destroyed, chief of police/friend retired and Harleys body was creamated. The parents and chief got away with murder in my opinion.