Oregon cold case solved: Man who vanished in 1964 ID’d as human remains found more than 30 years ago

Authorities in Oregon have identified human remains found more than 30 years ago as that of a man who vanished in 1964, putting to bed a missing person cold 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 back and forth across the river to feed cattle, authorities said. He built a makeshift cable car with a friend to cross the river. On the day he vanished, West fed cattle in Ashwood, 150 miles southeast of Portland.

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A friend went to check on him and discovered the cable car washed away and the large tree that held the cable was uprooted. West’s dog was injured and agitated on the bank of the river, authorities said. 

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 the person was likely a white man between 40 and 50 years old at the time of death.

In 2022, the examiner’s office submitted a bone sample to a private DNA lab. The analysis revealed the names of two of Wests’ relatives. Authorities collected swab samples from one relative to be tested and confirmed the person was a family member of West.

“We are very excited that such an old case was able to be solved. It is amazing 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 that the family of the deceased finally has closure.” Sherman County Sheriff Brad Lohrey, whose father, Gerald Lohrey, was sheriff at the time the remains were found, said in a statement.