According to police reports, human remains discovered in Connecticut in 2006 have been identified as belonging to Brian Cranfield, a man who went missing while fishing in Vermont in 2001. Cranfield, 37, and Terry Brinegar, 44, were fishing on April 9, 2001, at Sumner Falls in Hartland when their boat capsized. While Brinegar’s body was recovered shortly after, Cranfield was presumed drowned, and his remains were never found.
In October 2006, a human skull was located along the Connecticut River in Haddam. Recent DNA testing by the Connecticut Chief State Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed a match between the skull and a DNA sample obtained from Cranfield’s brother. The Texas-based forensic firm Othram assisted in this identification.
Police say the investigation revealed no suspicious circumstances surrounding Cranfield’s disappearance, and the case has now been closed. The identification of the remains brings closure to a case that has lingered for over two decades, as authorities continue to seek answers in cases involving missing persons in the region.
Source: Vermont State Police
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