New River Gorge Bridge: Human Remains Discovered Connected To Cold Case Out Of Vermont?

It was near the New River Gorge Bridge where human remains were found by West Virginia police and many believe that the remains could be related to a cold case out of Vermont. According to 10 WAVY, a work crew had been prepping the area for upcoming work on the bridge when they found skeletal remains. Authorities believe that the human remains could belong to a student named Robert L. Kovack, who went missing back in September of 1998.

“According to an Associated Press report in August 2012, it is believed that Kovack was heading to a WVU football game in Morgantown in his red Geo Tracker. The vehicle was found five days after he went missing. It was parked and locked near the New River Gorge bridge. Kovack has family in north-central West Virginia.”

The New River Gorge Bridge human remains were not the only items found in the area, either. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, car keys, a driver’s license, and a student ID belonging to Robert Kovack were also collected, which does seem to indicate that there’s a good chance that these remains belong to Mr. Kovack, who was a 25-year-old graduate student at Virginia Tech.

Although Kovack’s vehicle was found shortly after his disappearance, his body was never located.

“On September 23, police found Kovack’s vehicle. The vehicle was found locked on the driver’s side and abandoned one mile away from the New River Gorge bridge.”

According to the New York Post, Kovack’s family had about 100 volunteers searching for their son, but his body never turned up. Police with dogs searched the area where Kovack’s car was found, but they never found any clues that led them to a body.

Although authorities are still waiting on the results of DNA tests to confirm that the remains found near the New River Gorge Bridge are those of Mr. Kovack’s, sources say that his family has been notified and that they are handling the news “as good as you can expect.”

According to the Roanoke Times, Robert’s brother, Mike, has released a statement on the new findings.

“As a family, we’re hopeful this is truly remains of my brother. However, until we can get proof positive identification, it’s speculation and conjecture at best. At that point we can all be at ease. But until then, we’ve got hopes that this is him.”

The family should have answers some time this week.

@WVStatePolice find remains found under the New River Gorge Bridge. https://t.co/XcgY7SqfmL pic.twitter.com/ceENWxxeH6

— WVNS 59News (@WVNS59News) March 11, 2016

Other human remains have been found near the New River Gorge Bridge over the years.

“More than four dozen bodies have been recovered below the bridge since Kovack’s disappearance 18 years ago, Tawes said. The most recent was a suicide at the same spot six months ago.”

The New River Gorge Bridge was built in the 1970s and is one of the most photographed places of West Virginia, according to NPS. The historic landmark is located on U. S. Route 19, just north of Fayetteville, West Virginia. The bridge itself is 3,000 feet long and spans over the New River Gorge. The bridge stands 876 feet over the water below, and is the third highest bridge in the United States. It is also the “longest steel span in the western hemisphere.”

The area offers incredible views and is a very popular destination for people year round.

[Photo by AP Photo/Jeff Gentner]