MATTAWA, Wash. — Grant County Major Crimes detectives are asking the public to help identify a toddler whose remains were found near Mattawa more than three decades ago, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office announced. Officials say advances in forensic science and DNA technology may finally bring answers in a case that has gone unsolved since 1992.
According to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the remains were discovered in a shallow grave in an arid, uncultivated area between Highway 243 and the Columbia River. Forensic examination determined the remains had been buried for up to three months at the time of discovery.
The Sheriff’s Office says the child was a male between 12 and 24 months old. He was wrapped in a finely meshed, curtain-like material and was clothed in white tube socks with red and blue stripes, blue JCPenney-brand “Toddler Time” pants, and a long-sleeved sweater featuring a repeating polar bear pattern.
Detectives have reviewed and examined the original 1992 case file and, according to the Sheriff’s Office, now have access to forensic and DNA testing tools that did not exist when the case was first opened. The Sheriff’s Office has also released a forensic facial reconstruction — depicting what the child may have looked like — as part of the renewed effort to identify him.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office says one investigator has remained committed to identifying this child and pursuing justice on his behalf throughout the decades since the discovery.
Anyone who recognizes the clothing items or the forensic facial reconstruction, or has information about the child’s identity or the circumstances surrounding his death, is urged to contact the Grant County Sheriff’s Office at 509-762-1160.
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