MOLINE, Ill. — The Moline Police Department will hosted a press conference on Monday, Sept. 12 at 3:30 p.m where Chief Darren Gault announced that the remains of Steven Asplund had been found and identified.
Asplund was reported missing on Jan. 10, 1994 after he went to a friend's house the previous day to borrow a caulking gun. He reportedly left the residence in his black Ford Mustang and was never seen again. The case subsequently went cold for 28 years.
According to Chief Gault, Asplund's body was found in St. Louis County, Missouri in 1994, but due to its degraded condition, authorities were unable to identify it.
In Nov. 2021, a Moline PD detective was using the National Missing and Unidentified System database to research bodies found in the Mississippi River around the time of Asplund's disappearance when he found one with many descriptors matching Asplund.
Authorities said that clothing samples from the body matched Asplund's missing person report and that a discrepancy in the database regarding the body's teeth previously misled investigators.
Through modern DNA analysis performed by the Illinois State Police Forensic Services laboratory, police were able to confirm that the body was Asplund's.
His remains are currently buried in St. Louis, but MPD is working with the family to make arrangements for his new resting place.
The Asplund family did not appear at the conference, but Steve's brother, Mike, released a statement:
"Although this is a sad day, I am very proud of the work of the Moline Police Department and the tireless pursuit of truth for families seeking answers about loved ones. I would like to commend Moline Police Department Detective Mike Griffin who is extremely passionate about policing, investigations and serving the community.
"Over the years you have heard his name before solving extremely difficult and sometimes cases that have spanned decades. This isn’t his first success story and it won’t be his last. His dedication, passion and expertise is extraordinary. He spent countless hours examining water routes, unidentified bodies, case files and reports in this case.
"He did not give up, even when the initial review appeared this body wasn’t Mr. Asplund. He works hard for the community he serves and we are lucky to have him on our team."
Watch more news, weather and sports on News 8's YouTube channel