In Memphis Drainage System, Remains of 3 Kids

An anonymous tip about a skull in the woods has led Memphis police to a grim discovery: remains believed to belong to three young children that may have lain hidden for years. Officers first responded March 8 to a report of a possible human skull near a wooded stretch along Ridge Meadow Parkway, which had been spotted by a person walking their dog, Police Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis said Wednesday, per the AP and NBC News. A search turned up a skull at the tree line before cadaver dogs alerted to a nearby drainage system.

Over the next few weeks, investigators used cameras to probe the drain and eventually located a second skull and 14 additional bones, which Davis said appear to be from three children thought to be between 3 and 7 years old. He describes it as a "heartbreaking" and "disturbing" case. Local police are now working with the FBI and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to identify the victims and determine how they died. A review of recent missing-person cases in the Memphis area turned up no likely matches, suggesting the children were not reported missing locally. Authorities say there is no known threat to the public but are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 901-528-2274.