PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The remains of a person who disappeared in Portland, Oregon, 30 years ago have been identified by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation began in April 2021 when tree planters found a human skull near Lake Merrill in Cougar, Washington. The workers contacted the sheriff’s office, who collected and analyzed the skull, discovering two entrance and two exit bullet holes.
The following month, a femur was located in the same area with the aid of a cadaver dog. Both bones were determined to be the remains of Anthony Matthew Croy, born Dec., 4, 1973, and who disappeared from the Portland area in September of 1995.
The bullet holes in the skull were confirmed by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. The skull and the femur were sent to Bode Technology for analysis, the sheriff’s office said.
Bode determined that the skull and femur belonged to the same individual but did not find a DNA match in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
The remains were then sent to Othram Inc., a private laboratory that specializes in genome sequencing. Othram found a potential family member of the subject and, through research, found that they had a missing relative.
Detective Jason Hammer of the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office contacted the family member and obtained a DNA sample collected through a private genealogy company. The sample was sent to Othram, which confirmed the sibling relationship with the remains.
The death investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office.