Mysterious death of man found in burning boat is solved after 32 years

A Utah man who was found dead in a burning abandoned boat has been identified after more than 30 years.

On April 6 1992, local officers found his charred body in the vessel located in a field near I-15 and 21st Street in Ogden and noticed that he was 'unrecognizable' with no personal items with him.

At the time, his death was classified as 'suspicious' and the case remained unsolved.

But after 32 years, detectives from the Weber County Sheriff's Office were able to identify Kevin Lynn Capps, 30, as the victim using advanced DNA testing.

Daughter Chelsea LaRoe said in a newly released video: 'I spent my entire life wondering why he left and if he ever thought about me as a kid growing up. It made me sad, angry, and filled with questions.

'Although that day gave me some closure of knowing, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I just did both.'

She also said that she and her mother went to the cemetery to visit her dad's gravesite - where he had been buried in an unmarked grave for the last three decades.

'The day after I found out about Kevin, my mom and I went to the cemetery in Ogden, where he was buried in an unmarked grave. [I] will forever be grateful for the detectives who helped in this case.'

An initial autopsy revealed the victim was a six feet and one inch male believed to be between 30-45 years old.

However, dental records from surrounding areas and states failed to match with any of the missing people reported at the time.

But earlier this year, the Sheriff's Office decided to form the Weber Metro Cold Case Task Force and reexamined the case with a 'fresh set of eyes and ideas'.

Detective Ty Hebdon noted in the video: 'Detectives set out on identifying the victim by using advanced DNA testing, including investigative genetic genealogy testing.'

Genetic genealogy is defined as 'the combination of genetic analysis with traditional historical and genealogical research to study family history', according to Parabon NanoLabs .

Othram Inc. CEO and founder David Mittelman told People that they received Capps' bones and after four to six weeks, a DNA profile was created.

The team then used the DNA markers to find relatives and proceed with the investigation.

'It just took weeks for us to come to an answer because there were decent matches in the genealogy databases. That's why you have a case... that already has an answer.'

The company particularly used forensic genome sequencing in the case.

The Weber Sheriff's Office had teamed up with Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy company and used funding from the Utah Department of Public Safety to solve his identity.

While Capps' body has finally been identified, it's unknown how he died or who killed him as investigation continues.