The victim in the closed Ogden case has been identified after 32 years

OGDEN, Utah – After more than 30 years, a Utah family has finally come to terms with the disappearance of a loved one.

The Weber County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that it recently confirmed the identity of the victim who was found dead under suspicious circumstances 32 years ago.

Detective Ty Hebdon said that on April 16, 1992, deputies responded to a fire in a field near I-15 and 21st Street in Ogden. There was also a boat in the field that was on fire, and there was a man’s body in the boat.

After the fire was extinguished, the body was “unrecognizable,” Detective Hebdon said. No personal items were found that could have been used to identify the victim, which was considered suspicious at the time.

An autopsy confirmed that the victim was a man aged 30 to 45. But he still remained unidentified for years, despite attempts to match dental records, DNA and other data.

The Weber Metro Cold Case Task Force was formed this year, and Hebdon said this case in particular has been re-examined. Detectives used advanced DNA testing and “genetic genealogy research” and finally got the result.

The victim was identified as Kevin Lynn Capps, 30.

Investigators learned that Capps had a 4-year-old daughter at the time. In August this year, they managed to contact her and convey the message.

In the video below, Chelsea LaRoe (his daughter) and Rhonda Capps (his sister) talk about how they found out that Kevin Capps had been identified after all these years.

Daughter and sister

LaRoe said she always wondered where her dad went.

“All my life I wondered why he left and if he ever thought about me growing up. It made me sad, angry and full of questions,” she said. “Even though that day gave me some insight, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so I just did both.”

She said she and her mom went to the cemetery to visit the grave of her dad, who had been buried in an unmarked grave for years.

Although Capps’ body was eventually found, it is unknown how he died or who killed him, and the investigation continues. The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information that may assist in the case to contact Detective Hebdon at 801-778-6646 or submit a report/tip online about sheriff’s office website.