Story perspectives

Police Find Children’s Remains in Hickory Hill Woods

4/24/2026

Summary

Story summary

Police say the children’s remains have likely been in Hickory Hill woods for several years.
Memphis Police discovered bone fragments of three children aged three to seven after a March 8 skull report.
About 170 local, state and federal personnel, including the FBI and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, are searching the woods.
Police have not matched the remains to any missing-person report and urge tips to CrimeStoppers.

History

Historical Context

The May 5 1993 murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, sparked a high-profile trial that convicted Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley in 1994 and inspired the Paradise Lost documentary series beginning in 1996. Decades of public and law-enforcement attention have fostered ongoing cooperation among Memphis Police, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, prompting today’s search for bone fragments in Hickory Hill woods.

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Story summary

Police say the children’s remains have likely been in Hickory Hill woods for several years.
Memphis Police discovered bone fragments of three children aged three to seven after a March 8 skull report.
About 170 local, state and federal personnel, including the FBI and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, are searching the woods.
Police have not matched the remains to any missing-person report and urge tips to CrimeStoppers.

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