Autopsy confirms remains are of missing Spanish Fork woman


Save Story

Show 1 more video

Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SPANISH FORK — An autopsy confirmed Wednesday that a skull found in a backyard cellar in Spanish Fork this week belongs to a woman who went missing three decades ago.

The Utah State Medical Examiner's Office on Wednesday officially identified the skeletal remains as those of Peggy Sue Case, a then-28-year-old woman who was last seen July 9, 1988, before she left a Payson hot-tub party. She's been listed as a missing person since July 15, 1988.

"There was a feeling of joy" among police when the remains were identified, said Spanish Fork Police Lt. Matt Johnson. "It's sad that it took this long, but at least there's some closure for the family and they can move on."

Johnson said police contacted the lead investigator from the 1988 case, now-retired detective Cal Johnston, to notify him.

"He's happy — but happier for the family," Johnson said.

Detectives reopened the cold case after receiving a call Monday when the human remains were found at 80 N. 800 East in Spanish Fork. Case and her boyfriend — Michael Kufrin — lived in the home in 1988, police said.

Kufrin is a person of interest in her disappearance, according to Johnson.

Monday's tipster was unpacking belongings from the concrete cellar as he prepared to move into a new home and noticed a patch of sunken, dirt floor.

He recalled a neighbor telling him that the person who lived there before him had gone missing and was never found, so he and his friend began digging, Johnson said.

That's when they found a full set of skeletal remains wrapped in plastic mesh and a blanket, and called police, Johnson said.

Spanish Fork police are in the process or reviewing evidence from 1988 along with Case's remains. Johnson said investigators have a meeting with the Utah County Attorney's Office Thursday to determine next steps.

Once the evidence has been reviewed, Johnson said the facts of the case will be submitted to the county's attorney's office to consider criminal charges and determine whether to issue an arrest warrant.

"Thirty years is a long time to wait. It's unfortunate it's taken this long, but we're grateful (Case's remains were found), and hopefully we can get the case put together and hold the person responsible," Johnson said.

The backyard cellar was searched by investigators in 1988, Johnson said, but it's not clear why her remains were not found.

"It's hard to say if she was placed back there after the search or exactly what transpired," he said.

Case was last seen by her co-workers leaving a party. Friends reported that Case left the party with Kufrin, Johnson said, and told detectives Kufrin was upset with her and accused her of flirting with other men that night.

Three days later, on July 13, 1988, a co-worker called police to report that she hadn't shown up for work. On Sept. 3, 1988, police obtained a search warrant to go through Case's and Kufrin's house, including the cellar, yard and crawl space under the house, Johnson said. A K-9 was also used during the search that day.

Police say that according to neighbors, Kurfin moved out of the house on Sept. 30, 1988.

Two years after Case was listed as missing, Kufrin, then 34, was in the Utah State Prison on a conviction of attempted theft after police said he stole his boss' truck and drove to Nevada with firearms.

At an October 1990 parole hearing, he refused to answer questions about Case from members of the Utah Board of Pardons.

"I don't want to talk about it," Kufrin said.

Kufrin was released from prison in 1995. Spanish Fork police said this week they do not know where Kufrin is currently living.

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Katie McKellar

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast