Skull Found in 1991 Matched to Missing 4-Year-Old Boy

For 30 years, a partial skull found by a hunter in San Bernardino, California, was a grim clue in a cold case. But police announced this week that they have solved part of the mystery, through DNA testing and genealogical sleuthing. The sheriff’s office says they have identified the victim as Derrick Burton, who was 4 years old when his mother, Patricia Clark, reported him missing. It’s not clear how he died, but police found a plastic bag that smelled of decomposition and contained children’s clothing when the skull was found.