OGDEN — Arkansas authorities have identified a skull found by a 6-year-old girl near her home as that of an arson suspect.
Arkansas State Police Special Agent John Rhone told the Texarkana Gazette on Thursday that the girl found 26-year-old Zachery Wagner's remains. He has been missing since February. Rhone said Wagner's DNA was on file in a criminal database.
His cause of death hasn't been determined yet by the state Crime Laboratory.
Little River County Sheriff Gary Gregory said Wagner is a suspect in the arson of a log truck in Ogden. He said Wagner hadn't been seen since the truck was burned.
Wagner was on parole from the Arkansas Department of Correction after serving time on felony counts of residential burglary and theft.
"We're looking into the people he had contact with and who may have tried to hurt him," Gregory said.
Gregory said the first-grade student found the skull Oct. 7. He said the girl thought it was a Halloween decoration and took it home to her parents, who called police.
Gregory said hunting dogs in the area may have taken the skull to that spot.
Authorities discovered more bones, including an arm and leg, later in the day in the woods near the girl's home.