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Deep in a forest in eastern Texas, hundreds of rescuers are desperately searching for a missing three-year-old boy. The boy, Ezra Parrish, has been lost for almost a day, and hope is beginning to fade. But then a dog sniffs out the scent of something nearby.

On May 27, 2017, Gloria Cooper was enjoying an evening at a Dave & Buster’s restaurant in Houston, Texas. She was accompanied by her husband, Jeremy, while her three-year-old son from a previous relationship, Ezra, was on a camping expedition some 60 miles away.

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Indeed, Ezra’s biological father had taken the boy and his siblings to Sam Houston National Forest, which is about an hour’s drive north of Houston. And as one of just four National Forests in the whole state, the area is a popular destination for campers and hikers looking to escape the city.

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