Child identity remains unknown

ADAMS COUNTY — DNA tests conducted on a child skull fragment discovered at a farm in Adams County nearly one year ago turned up negative results.

The skull fragment was located at the 100-acre farm located east of Highway 395 in August 2006 by a farmer who was cleaning up after a field fire, the Adams County Sheriff's Office reported.

The fragment was sent to an FBI lab in Quantico, Va.

Multiple DNA extractions were attempted on the fragment turning up negative results, Adams County Sheriff Doug Barger reported. There are several factors contributing to the unsuccessful results.

Before the fragment was discovered, it was exposed to heat and cold for a long period of time, noted Barger. The extraction process was inhibited by damage sustained from the grass fire. The skull is thinner than a fully developed skull because it belonged to a child. The three factors reduce the amount of present DNA.

The field caught fire previous to the discovery due to a truck accidentally starting spot fires while passing through the area in July 2006, the sheriff's office reported. No additional evidence was located from the site after multiple searches from multiple agencies.

Due to the fire and environmental factors destroying the DNA, the child's age, sex and race remain unknown.

The FBI will preserve the skull fragment to perform another extraction in the future as new DNA procedures develop, Barger noted.

The area where the fragment was found was searched for two other missing children previously with negative results.