Memphis police are investigating the discovery of human remains belonging to three children found in a wooded drainage area south of the city. The bones, located in the Hickory Hill neighborhood, have been there for several years, according to authorities.
The first discovery came on March 8 when an anonymous caller reported a possible human skull near the woods. Officers brought in search dogs, which alerted to a nearby drainage pipe. During a subsequent inspection using cameras later that month, investigators found what appeared to be another skull. Additional searches uncovered 14 more bones consistent with human remains.
Police believe the remains belonged to children between three and seven years old. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis announced the findings at a news conference, describing the discovery as both heartbreaking and disturbing.
Investigators have not yet identified the children or determined how they died. A review of recent missing persons reports in Memphis turned up no matches, suggesting the children may not have been reported missing locally or may have disappeared from elsewhere.
Davis appealed for public assistance, saying someone in the community likely knows the children's identities or circumstances. "Somebody knows where these children have come from," Davis said. "Someone knows of missing children that we have discovered in this area."
Police have committed multiple resources to the case and are continuing their investigation to establish who the children were and what led to their deaths.
Author James Rodriguez: "This case will hinge on whether these children were ever reported missing anywhere, and if not, that raises even darker questions about who knew about them and why no one came forward."
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