Vatican says no recent bones found in search of ossuary

Experts say they have found no recent bones in their examination of a ossuary as part of a search for a teenager who disappeared 36 years ago, Vatican officials said Sunday.

But an expert representing the family of the missing girl has called for more tests on some of the bones.

A Vatican spokesman said a team of specialists, who completed their work Sunday, had found no bones old enough to match those of Emanuela Orlandi, the missing teenager.

Forensics specialist Giovanni Arcudi, who led the team, said they had found "no bone structure dating back to a period later than the end of the 19th century," said the statement.

But an expert appointed to represent the Orlandi family's interest has called for more detailed tests on around 70 bones that Professor Arcudi did not think worth examining because he judged them to be very old.

The Vatican police have filed and taken possession of the remains, pending a court ruling on the question.

The experts removed thousands of bone fragments from the basement of the Pontifical Teutonic College on July 20, searching for her remains following a mysterious message sent to her family via their lawyer.

The message was a picture of an angel-topped grave in the Teutonic cemetery, and a message which simply read: "Look where the angel is pointing."