Unidentified Body of a Child

To the Editor.— On Sept 7, 1975, a child's body was found in a plastic bag near Giddings, Tex. Examination revealed the following: Time of death, summer 1975; age at death, 4±1 years; race, caucasoid; sex, female (?); hair, very dark brown, straight, about 10 cm long; cause of death, undetermined. Three well-healed burr holes indicate that this child underwent neurosurgery at least several months before death. Two of the holes straddle the coronal suture bilaterally about 3.5 cm from the midline; third is located in the left parietal, just posterior to the coronal suture, about 7.5 cm from midline. The central (left frontoparietal) hole is the largest, measuring 15×20 mm in diameter. The other two are approximately 5×10 mm in diameter. The left anterior frontal bone displays extensive patches of healed periostitis both endocranially and ectocranially. Externally, the periostitis extends downward to involve the nasal bones, maxilla and mandible. These