According to police reports, human remains discovered in Connecticut in 2006 have been confirmed to belong to Brian Canfield, a 37-year-old man from Weathersfield, who went missing in Vermont in 2001. Canfield and another man, Terry Brinegar, 44, of Mount Holly, were fishing at Sumner Falls in Hartland when their boat capsized on April 9, 2001. While Brinegar’s body was recovered shortly after, Canfield’s remains were not found at the time.
In October 2006, authorities in Connecticut located a human skull along the Connecticut River in Haddam. Recent DNA analysis conducted by the Connecticut Chief State Medical Examiner’s Office, in collaboration with Othram, a Texas-based forensic genetic genealogy firm, confirmed the identity of the skull as Canfield’s. A DNA sample from Canfield’s brother was used for comparison, leading to this identification.
Police say the incident is not deemed suspicious, and the Vermont State Police have closed their investigation into Canfield’s disappearance. Legal proceedings related to the case are not expected, as it is now concluded.
The Vermont human remains situation continues to develop. The Vermont human remains situation continues to develop.
Read more Vermont news stories at VTScout.
Source: Vermont State Police
About this report AI-assisted
Source:
Vermont State Police ↗
How this was written: This story was drafted with AI assistance from public-record sources and published under VTScout's editorial standards. Spot something wrong? Request a correction.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges and court dates are subject to change. Reporting is based on information from law enforcement and public records, and will be updated as more details become available.
The VTScout newsroom covers Vermont local news, public safety, and community life across the four regions of the state. Tips and corrections welcome at [email protected].