Police have expanded their search area for Noah Terry Thomas of Pulaski County. (Photo: Pulaski County Sheriff's Office) 
 
 DUBLIN, Va. (WUSA9) -- Pulaski County Sheriff's Office authorities say the investigation into the discovery of the body of a missing five-year-old boy in a septic tank will be "moving forward the focus will be on facts and physical evidence and will not be driven by speculation or rumors." 
 
 The autopsy on Noah Thomas has been completed my the medical examiner, but the cause of death is pending. No timetable has been given on when those results will be released. 
 
 Autopsy on #NoahThomas is FINISHED. Medical Examiner: Results are PENDING. Cause of death will help exlpain what happened to Noah. @wusa9 — Mola Lenghi (@MolaReports) March 27, 2015 
 
 County spokesperson Anthony Akers delivered the statement for the sheriff to the media on Friday morning. Akers would not speak about the investigation into Noah Thomas' death beyond what the sheriff's written statement contained, but did thank residents, search team members and members of the media for their help and cooperation over the last several days. 
 
 The body of a missing five-year-old Virginia boy was found in a septic tank Thursday afternoon, the Pulaski County Sherriff's Office said. WUSA 
 
 Very few details are emerging from this investigation. All week police talked about their frustration over a lack of leads while searching for Noah Thomas. 
 
 Then on Thursday, police had a major break when they found Noah's body in the septic tank on his parents property. Now it seems as if leads may be drying up again. 
 
 Authorities are pleading with the public to come forward with any information or tips they may have. 
 
 Police say no arrests have been made, there are no suspects, no charges and no cause of death. 
 
 Noah Thomas was found dead Thursday in a septic tank in Dublin, Va. 
 
 Noah was last seen Sunday morning by his mother. He was watching cartoons when she says she took a two hour nap. She woke up and Noah was gone. Five days later his body was found. 
 
 Police are not not releasing much information and they're not answering many questions about the investigation, or anything close to it. 
 
 WUSA9's Mola Lenghi asked repeatedly about the septic tank, how someone can gain access to it, if there's any possibility of an accident and he didn't get any answers. 
 
 Authorities will be relying heavily on Noah's exact cause of death. Once they know that, they hope to have a better understanding of what happened. 
 
 Authorities say the family is fully cooperating with the investigation. 
 
 Pulaski County Sheriff's Office continue to encourage people to come forward with any information about the boy's disappearance or death. 
 
 Noah Thomas went missing from his home on Sunday and his body was found shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday near his family's home. 
 
 Since Sunday, authorities canvased a nearly 10 mile radius around the house, as it turned out, Noah was right there on the property. 
 
 "His body was found in a septic tank after a more detailed and aggressive search. The recovery of the body is now a part of our investigation, " Jim Davis, of the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office said. 
 
 The body of a missing five-year-old Virginia boy was found in a septic tank Thursday afternoon, the Pulaski County Sherriff's Office said. 
 
 The FBI is on scene to provide forensic support. 
 
 Police are still trying to determine a cause of death but some family members suspect foul play. The boy's uncle told the Roanoke Times, "You don't get in a septic tank by accident. Somebody's going to pay." 
 
 It could be mere coincidence but after the sheriff offered a $5,000 reward, the boy's body was found Thursday afternoon. According to neighbors, every home has a septic tank which is roughly four to five feet underground. 
 
 The sheriff says while there is no hard evidence Noah was home Sunday, he is trusting the mother's statement that she last saw her son watching cartoons in the living room that morning. He asks the public not to judge the parents, saying "they are living a nightmare." 
 
 A candle light vigil is planned to remember the life of Noah Thomas. The memorial will be held Friday, 8 p.m. at the Pearisburg Rec Center (also known as the old King Johnston Middle School) located at 1410 Wenonah Ave. in Pearisburg, Va. 
 
 PREVIOUS: Noah Thomas missing: $5K reward offered for info 
 
 This hazmat vehicle was just seen pulling up to the area where #NoahThomas was last seen. http://t.co/knanWpZ81tpic.twitter.com/54hII8LxT2 — WDBJ7 (@WDBJ7) March 26, 2015 
 
 This is the scene outside the Highland Rd. home #NoahThomas went missing from. http://t.co/knanWpZ81tpic.twitter.com/WhJtB8PiN8 — WDBJ7 (@WDBJ7) March 26, 2015 
 
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 Read or Share this story: http://on.wusa9.com/1bycCsk ||||| The parents of Noah Thomas, the 5-year-old Virginia boy found dead in a septic tank, were arrested and charged with abuse and neglect. VPC 
 
 Police have expanded their search area for Noah Terry Thomas of Pulaski County. (Photo: Pulaski County Sheriff's Office) 
 
 DUBLIN, Va. — The parents of a 5-year-old boy found dead in a septic tank have been charged with abuse and neglect, authorities said. 
 
 Paul Thomas, 32, and Ashley White, 30, were charged Thursday with two counts of abuse and neglect of children, according to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office. Their son, Noah, was found dead March 26, five days after he was reported missing. 
 
 "It came to a point where the evidence that we had we felt was sufficient to arrest them for probable cause," said Commonwealth's Attorney Mike Fleenor of Pulaski County, who has been gathering evidence since Noah's body was discovered. 
 
 A 6-month-old baby was removed from the parents' custody the day after Noah's body was found, officials said. Dublin, in southwest Virginia, is about 240 miles southwest of the District of Columbia. 
 
 Authorities have said Noah was watching cartoons around 8 a.m. ET March 22 when White went to take a nap with her infant. When she awoke about 10:35 a.m., Noah was missing. 
 
 Results from Noah's autopsy are expected to take weeks to become available. Officials say his cause of death will be the critical information in the case. 
 
 The defendants each face two charges — one involving Noah, another linked to the infant. They're being held without bond in New River Valley Regional Jail. 
 
 It was unclear whether they had a lawyer who could comment on the charges. 
 
 Contributing: The Associated Press 
 
 Paul Thomas, 32, and Ashley White, 30, of Dublin, Va., have been charged with two counts of abuse and neglect of children. (Photo: New River Valley Regional Jail) 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1FpetcM ||||| right now shows as temperatures in the mid today; each with two counts of child abuse and neglect. Because of the nature of the charges, Noah's mother, Ashley White could go to prison for 15 years if convicted. Her husband, Paul Thomas could be sentenced to ten years. WDBJ7's David Kaplan was at the couple's arraignment today. The hearings were actually in Wytheville, Ashley White and Paul Thomas appeared via teleconference. Both wore orange jump suits. As part of the proceedings today, the judge was required to notify them that media was present and allowed to record anything. Both objected and the judge overruled. Ashley White said that this was the saddest thing that's ever happened to her and that she didn't want this story to be part of people's dinner table discussions. Paul Thomas said he didn't want his life to be a news story. David, what's next? Right now, a preliminary hearing is set for August 12th for White and Thomas. White was granted an extension to figure out if she was going to hire an attorney or receive a public defender. Paul Thomas said he was already in the process of hiring an attorney. And do we know if there will be charges in relation to Noah Thomas's death? No, and that's very important to note. Pulaski County Sheriff Jim Davis said yesterday that the investigation into Noah's disappearance and death is ongoing. We're told it could take weeks or months to complete the full autopsy and determine a cause of death. 
 
 WYTHE CO., Va. - 
 
 The parents of Noah Thomas were arraigned Friday afternoon through video conference. 
 
 Ashley White, 30, and Paul Thomas, 32, were charged Thursday with two felony counts of abuse and neglect of children. 
 
 One of White's charges is more serious. If convicted, White faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and Thomas faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. 
 
 Both are being held at the New River Valley Regional Jail in Dublin without bond. Their next hearing is August 12 at 1:30 p.m. in Pulaski County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. 
 
 The couple's son, 5-year-old Noah Thomas, was found dead in a septic tank March 26 after a five-day search. 
 
 Friday’s hearing lasted about five minutes. A Juvenile and Domestic Relations judge in Wythe County presided over the hearing. White and Thomas appeared through video conference. 
 
 Media members were allowed to attend the hearing, but cameras were not allowed inside. White said she did not want media inside of the hearing because this is the worst thing that has ever happened to her and she doesn’t want her life to be the topic of everyone’s dinner conversation. Thomas said he didn't want his life to be a news story. The judge overruled their objections. 
 
 White was granted an extension to figure out if she was going to hire an attorney or receive a public defender. Paul Thomas said he was already in the process of hiring an attorney. 
 
 Both White and Thomas wore orange jail-issued jumpsuits and seemed dejected. 
 
 White and Thomas each face two charges: one involving Noah and a second linked to an infant who also lived in the home. The infant was removed from the home by social services a day after Noah went missing. 
 
 There is an important note about Virginia Code Section that the couple was charged under. 
 
 Paul Thomas was charged with two counts under the section that discusses a “reckless disregard for a child.” 
 
 Ashley White faces one charge under that code section, but the other charge is more serious, one that involves more serious injuries.
– Noah Thomas' mother says her 5-year-old was watching cartoons in his Pulaski County, Va., home on Sunday when she took a two-hour nap. She woke up and he was gone. Yesterday, his body was found in a septic tank on his parents' property, USA Today reports. Investigators have yet to determine what happened, and this morning the sheriff's office called for a focus on "facts and physical evidence" rather than "speculation or rumors." The investigation is currently framed as a "death investigation, with WDBJ noting "crime scene" tape wasn't used at the scene. Authorities should know more when a cause of death is determined, though it's not clear when that will be. Investigators haven't answered questions about how the septic tank can be accessed and whether it's possible the death was an accident, but at least some family members have their suspicions. "You don't get in a septic tank by accident," an uncle tells the Roanoke Times. "Somebody's going to pay." Neighbors say septic tanks in the area are typically four to five feet underground; Noah's body was found just hours after a $5,000 reward was announced. As for his parents, they are cooperating with authorities, and the sheriff, who describes them as "living a nightmare," asked that the public refrain from rushing to judgment. Says the uncle, "No one loved Noah more than Paul and Ashley." The search for the boy began within half an hour of his mother realizing he was missing, WDBJ reports.