In the late spring of 1982, the story of 15-year-old Dewayne Surls, a White male, took a tragic and mysterious turn. On June 14, he and his 18-year-old friend, Michael Coffin, embarked on a journey from Moscow, Idaho, with plans to travel to Pocatello. Coffin was preparing to start college, and the trip marked a rite of passage. Their blue Datsun, however, would never reach its destination.
North of Riggins, evidence of a crash was discovered where the car was believed to have plunged into the turbulent Salmon River. The treacherous, high-running water, swollen from spring runoff, initially hampered any search efforts. Eventually, Michael Coffin's body was recovered, his death attributed to injuries from the crash. Dewayne Surls, however, was nowhere to be found.
Just ten days after the crash, on June 26, 1982, a boater on the Snake River, miles downstream from the crash site, discovered the remains of a young man. The body was found near the mouth of the Grand Ronde River in Nez Perce County. An autopsy revealed a shocking detail that would remain a secret for decades: the young man had not drowned but had been shot twice. Despite this, investigators at the time did not connect the body to the missing teenager from the Salmon River crash. For years, the unidentified young man was known only as a John Doe, his case growing cold.
For four decades, the true fate of Dewayne Surls remained unknown. His disappearance was linked to the car accident that claimed his friend's life. However, with advancements in forensic technology, the cold case was re-examined. In 2023, forensic evidence from the unidentified body was submitted for advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy. This investigation finally led to a breakthrough. The John Doe found in the Snake River was positively identified as Dewayne Surls. This revelation shifted the entire understanding of the case. What was once considered a tragic accident was now being investigated as a homicide. As of now, the question of who shot Dewayne Surls remains unanswered. No suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with his death, leaving a 40-year-old mystery still unsolved.
