Stephen Kovitch, then age 31, was reported missing in 1992 after he failed to show up for a dinner date with his parents.
No one had heard from him, or known what happened to him, since. But the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department think they may have an answer, after receiving information from the Washington State Police regarding a body that was badly burned in a car crash in 1992.
Kovitch, who lived on Huston in Orion Township, had not been heard from in a week when he was reported missing on Aug. 27, 1992 by his mother, Dorthy Kovitch.
She told the OCSD at that time that Kovitch suffered from depression, but that missing the dinner was not his normal behavior. She said she had no idea where he could be or who he could be with.
A vehicle registered to Kovitch could not be found. His mother said she and her husband were leaving town on Aug. 28, and that Kovitch was supposed to have gone with them.
Kovitch’s description and that of his vehicle were entered into the LEIN (Law Enforcement Information Network), and Kovitch’s vehicle was spotted on a parking deck at Detroit Metro Airport. His bank said that Kovitch’s last transaction was a check made out to cash for $300.
The OCSD in 2001 received information from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department in Michigan. The BCSD said they had in their custody an unidentified skeleton of a male, believed to be the same approximate height, weight and age as Kovitch. Dental records were sent for comparison, and BCSD said they would contact the OCSD if a match was made.
At that time Joseph Kovitch, Kovitch’s father, said no contact had been made with this son.
Also in 2001, the OCSD received information from the Saskatchewan Police regarding fingerprints from an unidentified deceased person discovered in Saskatchewan in 1995. A comparison found that it was not Kovitch.
Kovitch was also thought to be in Regina, Saskatchewan and Romulus, Michigan, but did not conclusively match the bodies found in either of those locations.
In 2004, Kovitch’s mother said she had received a letter from Geico Insurance addressed to her son, or current resident. Geico said he must have been on her insurance at some time.
Last week, the OCSD was contacted by a detective from the Washington State Police, regarding a hit on a possible match for Kovitch.
They said on Sept. 17, 1992, there was a vehicle crash in Klickitat County, and the driver of one of the vehicles was burned beyond recognition and was never identified.
The fire was so intense that some teeth and crowns were thought to be missing. However, the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) matched the two, due to many similar dental characteristics.
The unidentified person weighed about 154 pounds and was 5-feet 8-inches tall.. Kovitch, at the time he was reported missing, was 150 pounds and 5-feet 8-inches..
The OCSD is still investigating with the Washington State Police to see if this unidentified person is Kovitch.