The Black Vault - September 11 science used in hunt for Thames torso killer

Detectives are using DNA tests developed to identify September 11 victims in the hunt for the killer of a young boy whose torso was found floating in the River Thames.

Bone fragments used in a potion the youngster swallowed shortly before he died in a suspected human sacrifice have been submitted to New York's medical examiner.

Police hunting the murderer hope techniques used to distinguish the remains of some of the World Trade Centre victims will help them identify the witch doctor who created the concoction.

The brew, found in the boy's lower gut, also contained quartz, clay pellets and very small samples of rough gold.

"These rituals aren't an exact science, but we feel that it may very well help us even in interviewing people," Detective Constable Mark Ham from Scotland Yard told the New York Daily News.

The boy, who has been given the name Adam, was discovered in the Thames near Tower Bridge in September 2001. He is believed to have been aged between four and seven.

Ground-breaking forensic work earlier this year found that he came from a specific region in Nigeria.

Pollen samples found in Adam's stomach showed that he was alive when he arrived in London. It is believed he was murdered a few days later.

Detectives believe he may have been kidnapped or he may actually have been given up by parents who saw it as an honour to have their child killed in a so-called 'muti' black magic sacrifice.

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