FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Authorities have confirmed that human remains found below a West Virginia bridge belong to a Virginia Tech graduate student who vanished nearly two decades ago.
According to West Virginia news outlets, a state police statement says DNA evidence confirms the remains discovered near the New River Gorge Bridge are those of Robert Leroy Kovack.
The 24-year-old native of Rivesville, West Virginia disappeared on Sept. 18, 1998 while driving to a football game in Morgantown. His car was found days later, out of gas near the bridge.
A work crew discovered the remains last March. Authorities say evidence suggests Kovack may have fallen after being hit by a car.
At 875 feet, it is the third-highest bridge in the United States, and the site of a popular "Bridge Day" jumping festival.
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