Body Found in Utah National Park 40 Years Ago Identified as Missing Teen

PROVO, Utah – More than four decades after a body was discovered in Arches National Park, authorities have finally identified the remains as those of 17-year-old Robby Peay. However, questions surrounding his death remain unanswered.

The Provo Police Department shared the details of Peay’s case on March 19, describing his disappearance and the decades-long investigation that led to his identification.

Peay was reported missing in October 1982 after running away from a youth treatment center. His name was entered into a national missing persons database, but months later, in February 1983, an unidentified body was found in the Three Gossips area of Arches National Park. The victim had suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and while the physical characteristics were similar to Peay’s, the body was too decomposed for a conclusive identification.

Adding to the mystery, Peay’s truck was discovered abandoned 350 miles away at Lake Powell months after the body was found. With no additional leads, the case eventually went cold. Peay’s family later had him declared legally dead and set up a gravestone in Provo Cemetery.

Years later, detectives continued to compare Peay’s characteristics with unidentified remains across the country. In 2018, a breakthrough came when his information was added to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). A forensic dentist reviewing the case discovered that Peay’s dental records had been incorrectly entered, and once corrected, they yielded a strong match to the body found in Arches National Park.

Despite this breakthrough, DNA confirmation was still needed. Investigators uncovered that Peay had been adopted at birth, which complicated efforts to locate biological relatives for comparison. After an extensive search, detectives identified a maternal uncle who provided a DNA sample.

Before detectives could exhume the remains for additional testing, they discovered that another law enforcement agency had already uploaded the body’s DNA to NamUs years earlier. A comparison confirmed a match, officially identifying the remains as Robby Peay.

The confirmation brought long-awaited answers to Peay’s family, but the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. The Grand County Sheriff’s Office, which has jurisdiction over the area where Peay’s body was found, has taken over the investigation.

Detective Sergeant Patterson of the Provo Police Department reflected on the significance of the case.

“Peay had been missing for over 40 years when the breakthrough finally came through dental records and DNA testing,” Patterson said. “With this crucial evidence, we were able to identify an unknown individual, bringing long-awaited answers to a family that had spent decades in uncertainty. Moments like these are among the most rewarding aspects of the job.”

While many expressed relief that Peay’s identity was confirmed, others shared sympathy for his family, who may never know the full truth about what happened to him.

“Happy this mystery is finally solved, or at least we know that it was Robby,” one person commented on the police department’s social media post. “We will probably never know what happened to him. I’m sure there are hearts still broken.”