OAK RIDGE POLICE ASK FOR HELP IDENTIFYING DECEASED BABY FOUND FLOATING ALONG BANKS OF MELTON LAKE
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OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — On March 26, 2020, a fisherman found the body of a newborn floating along the banks of Melton Lake. Now, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is asking for tips to help identify the boy.
NCMEC said the child was found in the area near the intersection of Melton Lake Drive and Edgemoor Road. Authorities named the infant “Baby Wyatt,” meaning “little warrior.”
According to NCMEC, the child had been dead for less than 24 hours and was around 34 weeks gestational age. He had black, fine, abundant, curly hair, but environmental conditions made his race unknown. Baby Wyatt’s profile with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System says he was 20 inches long, around 7 pounds, with his umbilical cord still attached and a shirt wrapped around his head.
A post from a Facebook page run by the NCMEC shared digitally created pictures of what the child is believed to have looked like and the shirt found alongside him.
A spokesperson for the Oak Ridge Police Department said that the case is ongoing and any tips are appreciated. NCMEC also said that Season of Justice and Othram, agencies that specialize in DNA analysis that can be used in forensic genealogy or identification, have been working in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Police Department, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, and NCMEC.
“Please share and help us find Baby Wyatt’s true identity and bring closure to this case. We’re grateful to all the agencies that have assisted us in trying to locate his next of kin and true identity,” Knox County Regional Forensic Center said, sharing the post.
Anyone with any information that could help identify Baby Wyatt is encouraged to call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST, or contact the Oak Ridge Police Department at 865-425-4399 or [email protected].
As of January 20, there are three children listed as Jane or John Does on NCMEC’s website. NCMEC’s map also shows another 3 children missing from East Tennessee, with the oldest case being of a 6-year-old boy who has been missing from Townsend since 1969.
