This individual was recently confirmed to have been identified. Some details may change as more information is released publicly.
Dewayne Surls was a teenager found shot to death in Idaho in 1982.
He was identified by Othram in September 2024.
Case[]
Surls was a native of Moscow, Idaho. On June 14, 1982, he and his friend Michael Coffin left Moscow for Boise, where Surls planned to start college at Idaho State University in the fall.
Later that evening, their car was heard to crash into the Salmon River near Riggins, but the accident site could not be investigated due to high water levels. Michael Coffin was later found critically injured and died soon after. Surls could not be found.
Surls' body was eventually found downstream from the crash site, near the mouth of the Grand Ronde River in the Snake River. He had been shot twice, once in the left shoulder and once in the neck.
The Nez Perce County sheriff initially thought the body might have been Surls but concluded it didn't match his physical description and classified it as unidentified.
The case was reopened in 2013, and his remains were exhumed for testing. DNA analysis conducted in 2024 revealed that the teenager was indeed Dewayne Surls.
Characteristics[]
- Straight dark brown to black hair, 3-4 inches in length.
- 2-inch scar on the right ankle.
- Both palms of his hands had corns or calluses, possibly suggesting manual labor.
Clothing[]
- Britannia jeans.
- Blue California Sun swimming trunks with red and white stripes down the sides.
- White socks with blue and red stripes near the top.
- Blue brief-style underwear, size S.
Gallery[]
