Lorton, VA — A heartbreaking mystery that baffled Virginia investigators for more than half a century has finally been solved through the power of forensic genealogy, bringing long-overdue answers — but no justice.
On Monday, August 4, the Fairfax County Police Department announced that it had officially identified the 4-year-old boy found dead under a bridge in Massey Creek in 1972. After 53 years, the child’s name is no longer lost to time.
The Child Once Known as ‘Charles Lee Charlet’
The young boy’s bludgeoned body was discovered on June 13, 1972, under a bridge in Lorton. An autopsy determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and the case was immediately ruled a homicide.
With no leads or identification, members of a local church group named the child “Charles Lee Charlet” and arranged for his burial at Coleman Cemetery in Alexandria.
“The case remained unsolved for over 50 years,” said Fairfax police in their announcement.
Breakthrough Through Forensic Genealogy
Decades passed, but investigators refused to give up. A recent breakthrough came when scientists extracted viable DNA from just a few millimeters of hair left on the boy’s body — an extraordinary feat in forensic science.
That DNA led investigators to a family in Philadelphia, who told police their relative, Vera Bryant, had a 4-year-old son who went missing in 1972 while traveling through Virginia with her boyfriend and two children.
“Detectives then exhumed Vera Bryant’s body to confirm the maternal link,” officials stated. In July, testing confirmed that Vera was the boy’s mother.
The child was identified as Carl Matthew Bryant.
Suspects Identified — But Both Are Deceased
Fairfax detectives now believe Vera Bryant and her boyfriend, James Hedgepeth, were responsible for Carl’s death. Police noted that Hedgepeth “was previously convicted of murder and had a violent criminal history.”
However, neither suspect can face charges: Vera died in 1980, and Hedgepeth is also deceased, police confirmed.
“To see the extent of that boy’s injuries and what he had suffered through, I’m happy to be here today announcing that at least we’ve identified him,”
— Detective Melissa Wallace, Fairfax County Police
A Second Child Still Missing
The case isn’t fully closed. Authorities revealed that Carl’s younger brother, James Bryant, was 6 months old when he also disappeared in 1972. They suspect that the parents killed him as well and that his body may have been discarded somewhere along the same route as Carl’s.
Key developments in the case:
- Carl Matthew Bryant identified through DNA and maternal exhumation
- Both suspected killers — his mother and her boyfriend — are deceased
- Investigators are now searching for the remains of James Bryant, Carl’s baby brother
Some Closure, After Five Decades
While the full scope of justice may never be reached, officials say solving the case offers some peace and recognition for Carl.
“He can have his name, we can get him his name back on his gravestone,” Wallace said. “The family can have some semblance of closure or resolution.”
Fairfax County police are urging the public to come forward with any information about James Bryant or others who may have had contact with the Bryant family during their time in Virginia in 1972.
What’s your reaction to this long-awaited breakthrough? Share your thoughts in the comments.
