Summary
In January 2014, contractors working along a mid-central Mississippi creek discovered a skull in a drainage canal while clearing brush. The area was prone to flooding, which may explain why no other remains, aside from the skull, were recovered. Initial analysis suggested that the skull belonged to a young boy between 5 and 7 years old and that he had been deceased for several years before his discovery. His race and cause of death remain undetermined.
In the course of the investigation, his remains were not matched to any reported missing persons cases in the area. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office has teamed with Othram and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to determine if advanced DNA testing might help reveal more about the young boys identity. This case is logged in NamUs as #UP12994.
In January 2021, preliminary DNA test results from Othram now indicate that the young boy was African American and that he likely has relatives from the same general area in Mississippi in which the young boy's skull was found. NCMEC additionally coordinated isotope testing on the skeletal remains which suggests the young boy was born between 2000-2004 and likely died between 2007-2012.
Anyone that has information that might assist the case is encouraged to contact the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation at 1-601-987-1530.
Michael Vogen
Director of Case Management
Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.