Two 11-year-old boys from the Flathead Reservation in Montana were reported missing by their families before being found dead of alcohol consumption and exposure.

Contrary to the county sheriff, the families filed runaway reports with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribal police. One boy was even entered into the National Crime Information Center database.

The sheriff also said the boys were suspended from school but the Indian education coordinator said both came to school on Friday morning and stayed through lunch. The boys may have left later that day.

The boys, Justin Benoist and Frankie Nicolai, were tribal members, the coordinator said.

Get the Story:
Official: Boys found dead were not suspended (The Missoulian 3/4)
Drinking deaths of two 11-year-olds leave Montana town shaken (AP 3/4)

Related Stories:
Two boys at Flathead died of alcohol consumption (3/3)
Two boys found dead on Flathead Reservation (3/2)