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Human remains found in 1983 identified as American Theodore Frederick Kampf by Yukon RCMP

The Yukon RCMP Historical Case Unit has identified human remains found near Dawson City in 1983

The Yukon RCMP Historical Case Unit (HCU) has identified a man after a 40-year wait. Working with agencies in Canada and the United States, human remains found near Dawson City in 1983 were given a name.

The remains were identified as Theodore Frederick Kampf, an American citizen from New Jersey. He was 46 when he died. Kampf travelled from New Jersey to the Yukon in July 1981.

His family reported him missing in October after he stopped contacting them.

In May 1983, the remains which would 40 years later be determined as Kampf’s, were found in a wooded area near the North Fork Dam and the Dempster Highway.

Yukon RCMP led an extensive investigation at the time, but the remains were never identified and the cause of death continues to be seen as suspicious.

The HCU, newly formed in 2019, began working on this investigation with an emphasis on determining the identity. The National DNA Data Bank (NDDB) was able to obtain a DNA profile from his remains but no match was made despite comparison attempts made nationally and internationally.

In the fall of 2020, Othram Inc., based in Texas, was contracted to conduct advanced forensic analysis. This led Yukon investigators to work with the Oaklyn Police Department and New Jersey State Police on missing person’s cases from their jurisdictions.

In a joint effort between the University of North Texas Health Science Centre and NDDB, comparisons were done between the human remains and the missing person resulting in a match.

Now that the remains have been identified, the investigation continues and it’s believed Kampf was murdered in the same month – July 1981.

Investigators are asking the public to please help them determine what happened to Kampf.

Anyone with knowledge of Kampf or the events that led to his death is asked to email or call the Yukon RCMP Historic Case tip line at 867-667-5500.

Contact John Tonin at john.tonin@yukon-news.com