Human Remains Found in Virginia Woods Identified as 5-Year-Old Boy Missing for Over 20 Years

By Nic F. Anderson, CNN

Virginia Authorities Identify Human Remains Belonging to Missing Child

(CNN) — The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office in Galax, Virginia, has confirmed the identity of human remains discovered in the city’s woods last year. These remains belong to a 5-year-old boy who went missing over two decades ago, according to authorities.

Extended Period of Time

Last September, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office made the grim discovery of the remains and determined that they had been there for an “extended period of time,” as stated in a news release on their official Facebook page. Following an extensive investigation, the office has now officially identified the remains as those of Logan Nathaniel Bowman, who went missing in January 2003.

Genetic Genealogy Assists in Identification

In their efforts to identify the remains, authorities sought the assistance of a Texas-based company specializing in forensic-grade genome sequencing and genetic genealogy, as stated in the news release. Thanks to the company’s expertise, a complete DNA profile of the remains was developed and compared to the child’s family members, conclusively confirming the remains belonged to Logan.

Previous Legal Proceedings

Logan’s biological mother, Cynthia Davis, and her then-boyfriend, Dennis Schermerhorn, were charged in February 2003 in relation to the child’s disappearance, according to 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 on two felony charges of child neglect and one felony charge of homicide. As of now, there has been no immediate response from Davis’ attorney regarding this recent development.

Schermerhorn, on the other hand, was convicted in 2004 and sentenced to one year in jail for one felony count of simple child neglect. The court dismissed the murder charge and another neglect charge against him. CNN has reached out to Schermerhorn’s attorneys for comment, but no response has been received thus far.

Ongoing Investigation and Anticipation of New Charges

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has declared that the investigation into Logan’s case remains ongoing. As a result, they anticipate bringing new charges in connection with this tragic incident.

Contributors to this Report

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