Human remains discovered in a remote area of Cowlitz County have been identified as a Portland man who vanished nearly 30 years ago.
The remains belong to Anthony Matthew Croy, born in 1973, who went missing from the Portland area in September 1995, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office revealed Thursday, Sept. 4.
Croy’s skull was first discovered on April 26, 2021, by tree planters working near Lake Merrill in Cougar. Detectives recovered the skull, which showed signs of gunshot wounds, and turned it over to the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office for analysis. A subsequent search with cadaver dogs also uncovered a femur.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the bullet wounds, and DNA testing at Bode Technology showed the skull and femur belonged to the same individual. No match was found in the national DNA database.
Investigators then sent the remains to Othram Inc., a private laboratory that specializes in advanced DNA sequencing. Using genetic genealogy, Othram identified a possible relative of Croy, and further testing confirmed the match.
Croy’s case now returns to the investigative phase. Detectives are working to determine the circumstances of his disappearance and death.
The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information to contact Detective Jason Hammer at 360-577-3092.
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