Kansas City, Mo. ? Despite a high-profile setback in the yearlong search for a beheaded girl’s identity, police and community activists said Friday that they still believe the girl and her killer will someday be identified.

“I hope it doesn’t take another year,” said Mayor Pro Tem Alvin Brooks, a longtime anti-crime activist. “But I think you have to be an optimist. You have to have faith. You have to have hope.”

Earlier Friday, police said that DNA tests ruled out a match between the girl known as Precious Doe and a missing 5-year-old from Miami, Rilya Wilson.

Police scientists tested saliva from Rilya’s mother and showed that a match was impossible, Police Col. George Roberts said at a news conference. DNA from the mother arrived Monday in Kansas City, and tests were complete late Thursday.

“Our investigation right now is pertaining to Precious Doe,” Roberts said. “Our efforts will continue to move forward to identifying Precious Doe and following up on the leads.”

While waiting for DNA results, Sgt. Dave Bernard said, investigators pursued several leads unrelated to Rilya Wilson.

On Friday, Bernard also dismissed as unlikely any scenario in which the killer is identified but Precious Doe remains anonymous. He could recall only one case a dispute between strangers that turned deadly in which prosecutors obtained a conviction without knowing the victim’s identity.

“Statistically, you’ll find that children at this age level, when they’re murdered, it’s generally the parents or someone close to them” who is responsible, Bernard said. “Parents prevent children, young children, from having a lot of contact with strangers.

“I believe the only reason the head was removed was probably to delay the identification,” Bernard said. “I think whoever did it knew that once we found out who she was, we’d be asking some serious questions.”

Florida’s Department of Children & Families lost track of Rilya in January 2001, when the girl’s caretakers say she was removed from their home by a woman who claimed to be a DCF worker. The caretakers say the girl was never returned. DCF skipped required monthly visits and reported her missing April 25.

The girl was born to a homeless cocaine addict and taken by the state when she was 5 weeks old.

Precious Doe’s body was found April 28, 2001, in a wooded area in east Kansas City. A volunteer searcher found her head three days later.

Police had said Rilya had many similarities to Precious Doe, including their approximate ages, height, weight and body frame. On Friday, they said there was no relief in the news that the girls are not the same.

“We worked long and hard on this case, and we will remain diligent in our efforts to resolve the case,” Capt. Cy Ritter said. “There’s no relief at all. We are just determined to find out who this person is.”

About 50 people attended an evening prayer vigil Friday at the park near where Precious Doe’s body was found.