Former mayor’s remains pulled from Willamette River

YAMHILL, Ore. — A medical examiner has confirmed the human remains found inside a vehicle pulled from the Willamette River last week are those of the former mayor of Cornelius, Oregon, who had been missing for a year.

The remains were confirmed to be that of 77-year-old Ralph Brown this week, KGW reported.

Investigators from the Yamhill and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices responded to Rogers Landing, a park and boat launch near Newberg, on Friday to investigate reports of a vehicle in the water.

Adventures With Purpose, a dive team that helps people find missing loved ones, initially located the vehicle. Divers from the team took a license plate from the vehicle, and a Yamhill County deputy was able to confirm that it was the car Brown had been driving when he disappeared, sheriff’s officials said.

Once ashore, investigators confirmed human remains were inside. On Tuesday, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the remains belonged to Brown.

“Although it is sad, it is not a sad day for us,” Megan Closson, Brown’s granddaughter, told the media outlet on Friday. “It is a happy day that we get the closure that we had wanted for so long.

Family members said Brown was 76 and had dementia at the time of his disappearance.