Police are comparing the Hickory Hill remains with older missing children cases.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Investigators in Memphis are seeking DNA and dental records from Michigan as they work to identify three children whose remains were found in a wooded area of Hickory Hill.
The request marks a new step in a case that has troubled police and residents since the first remains were found in March. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said the children appear to have been between 3 and 7 years old, but their names and causes of death are still unknown.
The investigation started March 8 near the 3400 block of Ridge Meadow Parkway. A woman walking a dog reported what she thought could be a skull near a wooded area. Officers found what appeared to be human remains and returned with the medical examiner’s office for a larger search.
Cadaver dogs alerted teams to a drainage pipe on March 10. A camera search on March 16 did not find more remains. On April 1, investigators entered the drainage system from another point and found what appeared to be another skull. Search teams recovered 14 additional bones on April 2.
Davis said local records did not match the children. Police found no Amber Alerts, reports or missing child records in Memphis that fit the ages and details known so far. “Adults were involved in this terrible, tragic situation,” Davis said, referring to the lack of reports tied to the children.
The Michigan records could help police compare the Memphis remains with the case of three brothers who vanished in 2010. Authorities have not said the cases are connected. The review is part of a broader effort to test possible matches and rule out cases as forensic work continues.
Police said the remains may have been in the Hickory Hill area for years. The search area is near Ridgeway Road and Winchester Road, behind commercial property and close to a drainage system. Investigators have said the public is not believed to be in immediate danger.
No arrests have been announced. Police said the next major step is identification, followed by determining how the children died and who placed them in the area.
Author note: Last updated April 29, 2026.