Remains found in a lake at a Connecticut state park last month have been identified as belonging to a man who was reported missing more than 20 years ago.
The remains were found floating in Mansfield Hollow Lake on Oct. 5 and were later identified as belonging to Robert Cavanaugh, who was 51 years old when he was reported missing on Christmas Eve in 2004, according to Connecticut State Police.
According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Cavanaugh’s cause of death was drowning. His death was ruled a suicide.
State police responded to the lake just before 2:40 p.m. after members of the Mansfield Fire Department discovered human remains floating in the water. Fire crews had recovered the remains onto a boat while they waited for police to respond.
The response included the state police Eastern District Major Crime Squad, who headed the investigation, as well as state police K-9 Units, the Emergency Services Unit Dive Team, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the medical examiner’s office.
Crews returned to Mansfield Hollow State Park on Oct. 21 for an expanded search, during which divers found additional remains and a vehicle in the lake that was later found to belong to Cavanaugh, state police said. The vehicle was recovered from the water before authorities found parking passes, a name tag and a license plate, all indicating the vehicle was a 1996 Mazda B2300 pickup truck tied to Cavanaugh, according to state police.
State police said they then found that Cavanaugh had been reported missing more than two decades ago and that, at the time, he left what was believed to be a suicide note.
On Thursday, the medical examiner’s office used DNA to confirm the remains belonged to Cavanaugh, state police said.
With the assistance of an anthropologist, investigators also were able to find that the individual recovered from the lake had undergone shoulder surgery, a procedure Cavanaugh’s family confirmed he had had, according to state police. Detectives also reviewed clothing labels and logos found on the remains to establish a time frame for when the individual had likely gone missing.
“The Connecticut State Police extend their appreciation to all assisting agencies, including the Mansfield Fire Department, DEEP, K9 units, ESU Dive Team, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, for their cooperation and support throughout the investigation,” state police said in a statement.
State police said the missing person case for Cavanaugh is closed.