Skull, possibly of newborn child, found in La Grange

LA GRANGE, TX (KTRK) -- Imagine pulling out weeds and suddenly coming across a tiny skull. It is what happened to a landscaping crew a week and a half ago on Jefferson Street in La Grange, which is west of Houston.

According to La Grange police, the skull appears to be that of a newborn child. Medical examiners believe the skull has been decomposing for the last 12 to 18 months. Just this past Sunday Texas Search and Rescue combed the area, with about 50 people looking for clues.

However police did not find any skeletal remains and reported that Search and Rescue team members themselves said this is the first time they've been unable to dig up any clues or leads on a search.

No cause of death for the infant has been determined so far, and currently La Grange police have no missing infant cases. The police chief said this is the first time he has seen anything like this in his 19 years.

"Knowing an infant died, that's a personal issue that really bothers you from inside," said La Grange Police Chief Jackie Shelton. "Kind of raises the stress level up a little bit."

A medical examiner in Austin currently has the skull, which they will use to try and figure out the age, gender, and ethnicity. After that, the police said the skull will be transferred to a couple different universities to test for DNA, the exact age of the infant was during death and the decomposition level.

The skull eventually will end up with the Department of Public Safety as a missing and exploited children case.