Dismembered remains discovered by a hiker in Utah have been confirmed as belonging to a fisherman who vanished nearly three decades ago, authorities said.
In May, a hiker and his dog found a hiking boot containing human foot remains on the shores of Fish Lake, the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday. Investigators noted the shoe was manufactured only in 1996, linking it to a missing persons case from 1997.
David White, of Washington, Utah, disappeared in September 1997 while on a fishing trip. He had rented a hotel room near the lake and planned to fish with friends, but when those plans fell through, he went alone and was never seen again. His boat was later found drifting across the lake with no one aboard, and a shoe and hat were recovered from the water, suggesting he may have fallen in.
An initial five-day search yielded no further evidence. However, DNA testing on the boot and a sample from one of White’s daughters provided a 99.9994% match, confirming his identity.
Stefanie Bennett, one of White’s daughters, expressed gratitude to the hiker and his dog, saying, “Without them, we would not be where we are today.” She also thanked authorities for their support. Sheriff Nathan J. Curtis noted the case had lingered in the minds of search and rescue members for 28 years, adding, “It is good to finally have some closure for the family and the searchers.”
