Small town mayor's nephew, 7, is tragically found dead near Albany

Published: 04:08, 2 July 2026 | Updated: 04:27, 2 July 2026 A Michigan mayor’s seven-year-old nephew who mysteriously disappeared has been found dead.  Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alharbi shared on social media Sunday that his nephew, Harbe Nagi, had gone missing in Menands, New York and was last seen in the Park Drive area. Harbe, who was autistic and non-verbal, was believed by police to have strayed away from a family gathering, WTEN-TV reported. The seven-year-old’s lifeless body was discovered in a neighbor's backyard pool, the Times Union reported. Harbe's family said he was a 'wanderer' and had a strong interest in nature, especially water.  The nearby pool had been searched several times after the boy vanished, but investigators did not see his body at the bottom of the clouded water, Menands Police Lt Kevin Schwebke told the outlet.  Harbe’s body later surfaced and was discovered Tuesday morning, with police confirming his cause of death was an accidental drowning.  'The circumstances surrounding Harbe's death remain under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available and as appropriate,' the Menands Police Department wrote. Harbe Nagi, 7, mysteriously disappeared on Sunday and was later found dead Harbe, who was autistic and non-verbal, was believed by police to have strayed away from a family gathering The grief-stricken mayor shared the tragedy on Facebook, writing: 'We are devastated to share that he has been found deceased. Thank you to everyone who helped in the search' The grief-stricken mayor shared the tragedy on Facebook, writing: 'We are devastated to share that he has been found deceased. Thank you to everyone who helped in the search.' In an earlier press release, the Menands Police Department said Harbe had visited the area where he went missing but did not live there, and that concerns over his disappearance were heightened because he was autistic.  There were no signs of foul play or any suspicious persons linked to his disappearance, according to police. A $10,000 reward was offered on Monday by the seven-year-old’s family for his safe return, WNYT reported. Alharbi told the outlet about Harbe’s past history of escaping from home.  'The child was trying to escape the house,' he said. 'He has autism. He's tried to escape the house several times before, but the mom would follow him and get him back into the house.' The boy went missing in Menands, New York and was last seen in the Park Drive area The boy's funeral will be held on Thursday, July 2, in Latham, New York.  'I would like to sincerely thank everyone for the outpouring of love, prayers, and condolences we have received during this incredibly difficult time,' Alharbi said on Tuesday.  'Your kindness has been a source of great strength for our family.' he added. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.