An investigation is underway in Tennessee after remains, believed to belong to three children between the ages of three and seven, were found in a wooded area in southeast Memphis.
Officers responded to the 3400 block of Ridge Meadow Parkway on March 8 after an anonymous caller reported finding a possible human skull near the woods, officials said.
Authorities continued canvassing the area with cadaver units, and on March 10, the dogs alerted to the possible presence of remains in a nearby drainage pipe. Following subsequent searches, another apparent skull was found on April 1, with 14 additional bones recovered the next day, officials said.
"We understand that this information is very difficult and deeply concerning to all of us," she said. "We want to reassure the public that there is no indication of any active threat at this time."
Davis said the identities, race, and exact ages of the children have not yet been confirmed, and no cause of death has been determined. She also noted that officials have not located any matching missing persons reports.
"These individuals were not persons that were reported out of our area," Davis said. "We’re going to follow every inch of this investigation, no stone unturned, to just look at the possibilities."
More than 150 federal, state, and local officials supported search efforts, including members of the Shelby County Medical Examiner’s Office, the FBI, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Memphis Fire Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the identities of the three children and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Davis encouraged anyone with information that could be useful to the investigation to come forward.
"Somebody knows where these children have come from," she said. "This is heartbreaking, it's disturbing, and at this time, we have numerous resources to help us to identify these young people and bring closure to this investigation."
Tips about the case can be submitted via the Memphis CrimeStoppers hotline at 901-528-2274 or the Memphis Police Department Homicide Bureau at 901-636-3300.