A body found at an Oregon home this past April is that of Dennis Day – an original Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer – who had not been seen since July 2018, authorities confirmed to Fox News Thursday.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner's office identified the body, although they were unable to use dental records or DNA because of the condition of the remains, Oregon State Police said. The investigation is ongoing.
HUMAN REMAINS FOUND AT HOME OF DENNIS DAY, ORIGINAL MOUSEKETEER MISSING FOR MONTHS
Day – who appeared on the variety show from 1955 until its end in 1957 – vanished from his Phoenix, Ore., home in July 2018 after he reportedly told his husband, Ernie Caswell, that he was going to visit friends. Day, 76, was reported missing on July 15 by Caswell, who suffers from memory loss.
Day’s car was discovered on July 26 near the Oregon coast – about 200 miles away from his home – in the possession of two people “unfamiliar” to the couple, but there was no evidence that a crime had been committed or that Day was in the vehicle, Phoenix police Lt. Jeff Price told Fox News in March.
Friends and relatives had set up the Help Us Find Dennis Day Facebook page. In a Thursday post, Day's niece Janel Showers of Clovis, Calif., thanked the Facebook group members for their "love and support" as well as Oregon police investigators for their efforts.
ORIGINAL MICKEY MOUSE CLUB MOUSEKETEER DENNIS DAY HAS BEEN MISSING SINCE JULY, REPORTS SAY
"Our family is truly thankful to the Oregon State Police for helping to bring closure to our family so that we can finally lay Dennis to rest," Showers said.
Day was born in 1942. After moving to California, he began performing at age 6. When he was 10, he was among the first group of children hired for the Disney show.
Day and Caswell moved to Oregon in the 1980s.