Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Remains of Missing 5-Year-Old Boy Found in Virginia Woods Identified After 20 Years

CNN
CNN

Human remains discovered in the woods of Galax, Virginia last year have finally been identified as belonging to a 5-year-old boy who went missing more than two decades ago, according to authorities.

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office made the initial discovery in September 2022 and confirmed that the remains had been there for an “extended period of time,” as stated in a news release. Recently, the office announced that the remains have been identified as those of Logan Nathaniel Bowman, who disappeared in January 2003.

The authorities sought the assistance of a Texas-based company specializing in forensic-grade genome sequencing and genetic genealogy to help identify the remains, according to the same news release.

Utilizing advanced DNA profiling techniques, the company successfully developed a comprehensive DNA profile of the remains and compared them to the child’s family members. This process confirmed that the discovered remains indeed belonged to Logan.

Logan’s biological mother, Cynthia Davis, and her then-boyfriend, Dennis Schermerhorn, were charged in February 2003 in connection with the child’s disappearance, as stated by the sheriff’s office.

Court documents from Grayson County reveal that Davis entered a plea deal in April 2004, resulting in a 15-year prison sentence and 15 years of probation. The charges against her included two felony counts of child neglect and one felony charge of homicide.

CNN has reached out to Davis’ attorney, but no immediate response has been received at the time of writing.

On the other hand, Schermerhorn was sentenced in 2004 to one year in jail for one felony count of simple child neglect. The court documents also indicate that a murder charge and a neglect charge against him were dismissed by the judge.

CNN has attempted to contact attorneys listed for Schermerhorn for comment, but no response has been received yet.

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has stated that the investigation is still ongoing, and they anticipate new charges to be brought forth in the case.

This report includes contributions from CNN journalists Samantha Beech and Celina Tebor.

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