Lorton, Virginia — In a remarkable breakthrough that brings long-awaited answers to a decades-old mystery, authorities in Fairfax County, Virginia, have identified the remains of a child discovered more than 50 years ago in a creek as Carl Bryant, a 4-year-old boy from Philadelphia. The identification was made possible through advanced DNA testing and genome sequencing, marking a significant development in a case that had haunted investigators for generations.
A Discovery That Shocked a Community
The grim discovery was made on June 13, 1972, when the body of a young boy was found in Massey Creek in the Lorton area, a suburban community just south of Washington, D.C., off Interstate 95. At the time, the child was unnamed and unknown. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma, and the case was immediately classified as a homicide.
Despite efforts over the years—including public appeals, facial reconstruction, and hair DNA comparisons—authorities were unable to establish the boy’s identity. Generations of detectives reviewed the file, and although the case remained open, it gradually became one of Fairfax County’s most haunting cold cases.
The DNA Breakthrough
The tide turned when a small strand of hair, preserved from the original investigation, was submitted to Astrea Forensics, a California-based DNA laboratory known for cutting-edge genome sequencing technology.
During a press conference on Monday, Detective Melissa Wallace shared the emotional and technical challenges faced by investigators:
“The lab said they typically need at least 2 centimeters of hair for viable testing. I told them I didn’t even know if I had 2 millimeters. But they told me, ‘Send it anyway. Let’s see what we can do.’”
Amazingly, Astrea was able to extract a DNA profile from the minuscule hair sample. That profile led to a possible familial match to Vera Bryant, a woman formerly of Philadelphia. In a deeply personal step, Vera Bryant’s remains were exhumed, and on July 1, 2025, her DNA was confirmed to be a maternal match to the child found in Massey Creek.
The boy’s identity was finally confirmed: Carl Bryant, age 4.
A Darker Picture Emerges
As the identification brought long-awaited clarity, it also revealed a disturbing narrative.
Investigators now believe that Carl’s mother, Vera Bryant, and her boyfriend at the time, James Hedgepeth, were responsible for Carl’s death. Both adults are now deceased. According to family members, Carl vanished in 1972 after Vera and Hedgepeth left Philadelphia for Virginia with Carl and his infant brother, James Bryant.
Authorities believe the killings of Carl and his brother likely occurred during that journey—somewhere between Philadelphia and Middlesex County, Virginia. Carl’s body ended up in a remote Virginia creek. The body of infant James Bryant has never been found.
Fairfax County detectives now suspect that James’ remains may have been discarded along the same route to Virginia, and they are pleading for help from both the public and law enforcement agencies across multiple jurisdictions.
A Family That Deserves Answers
“This case represents one of the longest, most tragic investigations we’ve seen,” said a Fairfax County Police spokesperson. “Carl deserved to be known. He deserved justice. Today, we can finally say his name. But the work is not done. We need help finding his baby brother and filling in the blanks.”
Carl Bryant’s identification has brought some closure, but it has also opened new investigative avenues and reignited the hunt for additional evidence.
A Call for Public Help
Authorities are urging anyone who might remember the Bryant family, or who worked on unidentified child death cases in the early 1970s, to come forward. In particular, law enforcement agencies in jurisdictions between Philadelphia, PA, and Middlesex County, VA, are being asked to review any unidentified infant remains in their cold case files.
Contact Information
If you have any information about this case or the whereabouts of James Bryant’s remains, you are encouraged to contact:
- Fairfax County Police Department: 703-246-7800 (select option 2)
- Crime Solvers Tip Line: 1-866-411-TIPS (8477)
Anonymous tips are also accepted and could provide the missing piece that finally closes this half-century-old chapter.
Remembering Carl
A computer-generated rendering of Carl Bryant, created in 2003 by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, was circulated for years with no name to match the face. Today, that image finally belongs to a child who can no longer speak for himself, but whose story is finally being told.
After 53 years, Carl Bryant has his name back. Now, authorities seek justice, answers, and the return of his baby brother’s story.
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