Investigators call him "Dennis," but they may find out an unidentified boy's real name thanks to a new high-tech test, Channel 2 Action News reported.
The body of a 5- to 7-year-old boy was found in woods behind a cemetery off Clifton Springs Road in DeKalb County in February 1999, and authorities have been trying to find out who he was ever since, the report said. They don't know how he died.
After a lead off a national database, investigators had the boy's DNA sent Wednesday to a Texas lab, where a new test may link him to a Maryland missing child case, Channel 2 said. The results should be back within a month.
"We try not to get our hopes up too much, but you really can't help it," forensic investigator Linda Gochenour told Channel 2. "It would be great."
Officials also released the latest rendering of the boy. The African or African-American child was wearing a blue sweatshirt, red jeans and brown boots when his body was found after being in the woods for months, the report said.
Authorities asked anyone with information on the case to please call the DeKalb County Medical Examiner's Office at 404-508-3500.
About the Author
