By rssfeeds-admin 
The investigation began back in April of 2021 when tree planters found a human skull on 7292 Rd near Lake Merrill in Cougar, Washington. The contracted workers with Weyerhaeuser contacted the sheriff’s office, who collected the skull and analyzed it, 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 12/04/1973, who went missing from the Portland area in September of 1995.
In a press release, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office explained how the forensic process led to the identification of Croy:
“The King County Medical Examiner’s Office analyzed the skull and confirmed the bullet holes. The skull and femur were sent to Bode Technology for DNA analysis. Bode was able to determine that the skull and femur belonged to the same individual. They ran the DNA profile through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and did not find a match.
“The remains were then sent to Othram Inc., a private laboratory that specializes in genome sequencing. Othram is able to compare the DNA sample of the remains to available DNA samples to identify possible relatives of the unidentified subject to help in the identification process.
“Othram located 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 this family member and gained access to their DNA sample that they had done through a private genealogy company. This sample was sent to Othram who 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.
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