The Memphis Police Department has launched a multi-agency investigation following the recovery of the skeletal remains of three young children in a wooded area in the city’s northeast. Authorities confirmed Wednesday that the remains, believed to belong to children between the ages of 3 and 7, had likely been at the site for several years.
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis categorized the discovery as “heartbreaking and disturbing,” noting that forensic analysis from the Medical Examiner’s Office suggests a timeline that predates recent local missing persons reports.
The investigation began on March 8, 2026, after a resident walking a dog in the 3400 block of Ridge Meadow Parkway discovered a human skull at the edge of the woods. The initial find triggered a massive forensic operation involving 170 personnel, including Shelby County Search and Rescue and specialized cadaver K9 units.
On March 10, search dogs alerted investigators to a nearby drainage pipe. While an initial camera inspection of the system on March 16 yielded no results, a secondary entry on April 1 led investigators to a second skull. The following day, teams recovered 14 additional bones consistent with human remains.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(829x261:831x263):format(webp)/children-remains-wooded-area-memphis-042326-3-77e62f7df2ad464e9e48b4203d1f4105.jpg)
A critical hurdle in the investigation is the lack of matching local records. Chief Davis stated that a comprehensive review of recent regional missing persons reports failed to produce a profile consistent with the remains.
“We know that these individuals were not reported out of our area,” Davis said during a news conference. Authorities are now expanding their search parameters, operating under the theory that the children may have been brought to Memphis from another jurisdiction.
The Memphis Police Department Homicide Bureau is currently working with forensic scientists to establish DNA profiles and determine the exact cause of death.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(750x348:752x350):format(webp)/children-remains-wooded-area-memphis-042326-d257103ad625463a945cd44a0483f09d.jpg)
“Somebody knows where these children came from,” Davis said, pledging that investigators will leave “no stone unturned” to provide closure to the case.
Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding missing children from the last several years—particularly those who may have disappeared from outside the Memphis area—to contact CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH or the MPD Homicide Bureau at 901-636-3300.
