Oregon authorities identified human remains found more than 30 years ago as those of a man who disappeared in 1964, putting to bed a cold missing-person case.
The remains were identified as David West Jr. through DNA testing, the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office said Monday. West was trying to cross the John Day River during a flood in 1964 when he disappeared.
He often traveled from one side of the river to the other to feed cattle, authorities said. He built a makeshift cable car with a friend to cross the river. The day he disappeared, West was feeding cattle in Ashwood, 150 miles southeast of Portland.
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A friend went to check on him and found that the cable car had been washed away and the large tree supporting the cable had been uprooted. West’s dog was injured and agitated on the riverbank, authorities said.
Oregon authorities identified human remains found more than three decades ago as David West Jr., who disappeared near a river in 1964. Then-Sherman County Sheriff Brad Lohrey appears at the recovery site in 1989. (Sherman County Sheriff’s Office)
On March 26, 1989, a group of rafters found skeletal remains along the river. Investigators consulted with West’s dentist, but no identification was made.
Upon receiving the remains, the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the person was likely a white male between the ages of 40 and 50 at the time of death.
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In 2022, the examiner’s office sent a bone sample to a private DNA lab. Analysis revealed the names of two of Wests’ relatives. Authorities collected swab samples from a relative for testing and confirmed the person was a member of West’s family.
“We are very excited that such an old case has been able to be solved. It is incredible what our forensic teams can accomplish with modern technology. This was a case that was a mystery for generations here at the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office. I’m happy the family of the deceased finally has closure.” Sherman County Sheriff Brad Lohrey, whose father, Gerald Lohrey, was a sheriff at the time the remains were found, said in a statement.
