Boot with foot inside helps solve case of angler missing since 1997, UT cops say

Human remains found in a boot helped solve the case of a man who went missing in 1997, Utah officials said.

On May 16, the remains of a human foot were found inside a boot on the shore of Fishlake, according to an Aug. 5 Facebook post by the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials were able to determine the boot was made in 1996 for one year, deputies said.

The boot was then linked to David White, a fisherman who went missing in 1997, officials said.

White, an avid fisherman, was supposed to go fishing with friends and rented a hotel room nearby, but after the plans fell through, he still went, officials said.

White’s boat was found later in Fishlake with no one on board, and a shoe and hat were floating in the water, officials said.

Authorities believe White may have fallen into the water.

The remains were sent to the Utah Medical Examiner’s Office, and the test results came back positive as DNA related to White’s daughter, officials said.

“We are also deeply grateful to the individual and his dog who found the shoe — without them, we would not be where we are today,” White’s daughter, Stefanie Bennett, said.

Fishlake is about a 200-mile drive south from Salt Lake City.

This story was originally published August 6, 2025 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Boot with foot inside helps solve case of angler missing since 1997, UT cops say."