Thousands of bones discovered in Vatican crypt in search for missing teenager

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Thousands of bones have been unearthed in two ossuaries discovered in the Vatican City, as part of an ongoing search for clues into the disappearance of a 15-year-old girl more than three decades ago. Interest in the case was renewed in summer last year, when the Orlandi family received an anonymous tip, hinting that Emanuela's remains may be located in the tombs of Princess Sophie von Hohenlohe and Princess Charlotte Federica of Mecklenburg at the Teutonic Cemetery.

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The family had received an image of a sculpture and an instruction to "look where the angel is pointing." This led them to the Teutonic Cemetery, which is located adjacent to the grand Saint Peter's Basilica and is typically reserved for the burials of German-speaking Catholics. After the Vatican agreed for forensic investigators to open the tombs on July 11, no human remains nor traces of coffins were found. The Vatican indicated that the remains of the princesses may have been removed during renovation work on the cemetery and surrounding buildings in the 1960s and 70s. Nevertheless, two ossuaries -- chambers in which bones of the dead are stored -- were uncovered during their investigations beneath the floor of an area inside the Teutonic College.

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