Remains found in Virginia could belong to Missouri man
Published Sept. 4, 2008
Authorities suspect skeletal remains found in Virginia to be those of a former Missour county clerk who was charged with first-degree sodomy in Missouri in 2007. Former Poplar Bluff resident Jonnie L. Dunivan, who served as Butler County Clerk, fled Missouri in July 2007 after being charged in Ripley County. Dunivan was featured on the television show "America's Most Wanted" in April. The remains were found in Marion, Va., which is near the border of North Carolina. They were located on private property near a state park. "The passport and some other identification things, which we are not disclosing at this time, leads us to believe it's possibly him," Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Clark said. "Of course, before we say it's Mr. Dunivan, we need to confirm forensically it is true. But, yes, all indications say it would be him." The highway patrol has sent all the information they have on the case to Virginia to help the identification process. "We need to identify using dental records or some other type of DNA," Clark said. He said the case is no longer one of the patrol's main concerns. "If we knew it was an obvious murder we would put it on a priority list," he said. "But since we believe this involves a case that happened over a year ago there isn't as big of a rush." The last correspondence received from Dunivan was mailed on July 16, 2007, from Bristol, Va., about 40 miles southwest of Marion. His truck was found abandoned on Interstate 81 near Marion on July 20. Hikers found the remains about a mile and half from that spot, according to a highway patrol news release. More information about Dunivan's charges has not been made available. "If it isn't the person we believe it to be, then he is still out there and that person still has the right to have a fair trial," Clark said. "As soon it is determined that it is him, more details in the sodomy case will certainly be made available."
