Kevin Lynn Capps was just 30 years old when his body was discovered burning in an abandoned boat in 1992.
For more than three decades, the identity of the man found in a field near I-15 in Ogden, Utah, remained a mystery.
However, thanks to advanced DNA testing, Capps was finally identified, bringing closure to a long-unsolved case.
On April 16, 1992, authorities responded to a fire in an open field. They found a boat fully engulfed in flames, with a man’s body inside.
The remains were badly burned, making it impossible to identify him using traditional methods.
No personal items were found nearby, and the man’s identity remained unknown despite efforts to match dental records and DNA.
Over the years, the case went cold. But in 2024, the Weber County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) revived the investigation with the help of the Weber Metro Cold Case Task Force.
This new effort partnered with Othram Inc., a forensic genetic genealogy company that uses advanced DNA testing methods.
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David Mittelman, CEO of Othram, explained how forensic genome sequencing helped crack the case. Unlike the typical CODIS method, which analyzes around 20 DNA markers, Othram’s approach examined up to 500,000 markers.
This allowed detectives to identify distant relatives of the victim.
Within weeks, the team found a match: Kevin Lynn Capps. Capps had been survived by his 4-year-old daughter at the time, Chelsea LaRoe, who was informed of the news in August 2024.
LaRoe, now 36, had spent most of her life believing her father had abandoned her. The revelation of his tragic death gave her a sense of closure.
The investigation continues, and authorities are asking anyone with information about the circumstances surrounding Capps’ death to come forward.
