A man had been missing since 1997 in Utah. Then, a foot was found.
- - A man had been missing since 1997 in Utah. Then, a foot was found.
Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY August 8, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Human remains connected to a man who mysteriously disappeared in 1997 were recovered near Fish Lake in Utah, local authorities revealed.
According to an Aug. 5 news release from the Sevier County Sheriff's Office, a foot was discovered inside a hiking boot along the shore of the lake in May.
They learned that it belonged to a missing man identified as David White of Washington, who went missing in September 1997.
Before his disappearance, White was going to go fishing with his friends, but the plans didn't work out, so he decided to go by himself. His boat was found abandoned on the lake, with no trace of White.
"A shoe and hat were found floating in the water, giving a possible indication where White was believed to have fallen in," the sheriff's office stated. "There were no witnesses at the time."
Authorities said he was staying at a hotel in the area at the time. Search efforts for White were carried out for five days.
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David White disappeared in September 1997.
The Sevier County Sheriff's Office stated that the hiking boot found in May was only made in 1996. They transferred White's remains to the Utah Medical Examiner's Office, then to a forensics lab.
Testing of DNA from the foot and White's daughter determined that there was a "99.9994% certainty the DNA samples were related, one being the paternal parent of the other," according to the sheriff's office.
Stefanie Bennett, the daughter of White, thanked the person who found his shoe.
"Without them, we would not be where we are today," Bennett said in the news release.
"We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, SAR’s, Detective Sgt Pearson, Detective Sgt Larsen, Sheriff Curtis, and Gary (Moulton) from Fishlake Lodge for their incredible support and tireless efforts," she continued.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Foot found connected to David White, man missing since 1997
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