Missing man's body identified in Calif.
The remains of Zachary Kennedy, a 32-year-old Butler High School graduate missing since October, have been positively identified in Long Beach, Calif.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office confirmed Wednesday that the remains found buried Thursday at a house in Long Beach belong to Kennedy.
While investigating Kennedy's disappearance, police obtained a search warrant for a house on West 8th Street where he was reportedly last seen, according to Long Beach police.
They excavated the yard and found human remains.
Jeffrey Kennedy of Butler Township, Zachary's father, said in an interview Wednesday that family members feared the worst after police told them about finding the remains. The coroner's office called Wednesday morning to report that a fingerprint had been used to confirm his son's identity, Kennedy said.
“It's just another step closer to closure. It's still a very emotional time, but we know where he's at. We know he's safe,” he said.
The coroner has yet to determine the cause of death. No arrests have been made and homicide detectives are continuing to investigate.
Police on Wednesday declined to provide more information about how the search warrant was obtained or how the body was found.
Investigators have revealed little about the investigation, but Kennedy said he is in contact with one of the detectives on a daily basis and is confident that they will find out what happened and deliver justice.
Kennedy also said that the family was thankful for the help it got from three different groups, We Can Bring You Hope, National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and Find Me, which all help law enforcement by distributing bulletins and information about missing persons and homicide victims.
The family is having Zachary cremated and a service will be held locally with Thompson-Miller Funeral Home in Butler. An autopsy was done Tuesday, but medical examiners are still waiting for the results of toxicology tests, he said.
Kennedy, who had not seen his son in 10 years but kept in touch via phone conversations, described him as charming and quick to make friends.
“Zach was the type of person who was very well liked,” he said.
Kennedy last week told the Eagle that his son struggled with drug use and was HIV positive. Kennedy said he hopes that an honest portrayal of Zachary's life could be eye-opening for others.
“If that article helps save one person's life, it was well worth it,” he said.
Police in California are still asking the public to provide information relevant to the case by calling 562-570-7244.
