The Fairfax County cold case squad has uncovered the identity of a young boy found dead in Lorton in 1972. The victim, who had been unidentified for more than 50 years, was 4-year-old Carl Matthew Bryant, FCPD announced in a news release.
Bryant’s body was recovered in Massey Creek, under the Old Colchester Bridge in Lorton, on June 13, 1972. An autopsy showed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma. Detectives ruled the case a homicide but were unable to identify the victim. A local church gave him the name “Charles Lee Charlet” and arranged for his burial in Alexandria.
The Investigation
Decades after Bryant’s death, advanced DNA testing and forensic-grade genome sequencing by Astrea Forensics led to a positive identification.
In 2003, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created a computer-generated sketch, which yielded no leads. Then, in 2004, hair evidence was discovered and sent to the FBI, but there were no matches. Detectives wanted to exhume the body, but “poor cemetery records and a storm had erased burial markers.”
Eventually, Astrea was able to extract a DNA profile from just a few millimeters of hair, “far less than typically required,” according to FCPD. Innovative Forensics Investigations used this DNA profile to identify possible relatives, which led them to Philadelphia.
With the help of the Philadelphia Police Department, police spoke with potential relatives who led them to the victim’s mother, Vera Bryant. She had two sons, Carl and James, and planned to travel from Philadelphia to Virginia in 1972. Vera Bryant died in 1980.
Vera Bryant’s body was exhumed, and DNA submitted to Astrea Forensics confirmed the DNA match.
Cold case detectives believe that Vera Bryant and her boyfriend, James Hedgepeth (also deceased), were involved in the murder. Hedgepeth had previously been convicted of murder and had a violent criminal history, FCPD said.
They also believe that the victim’s infant brother, James, was killed at the same time. James’s whereabouts are unknown.
Detectives believe the crimes happened somewhere between Philadelphia and Middlesex County, Virginia.
Related Content
See more about the region’s cold case detectives, unsolved cases, and advancements in DNA technologies in our August 2025 cover story.
Feature image of computer-generated sketch of Carl Matthew Bryant courtesy Fairfax County Police Department
