Police have confirmed that a body found in an Oregon home is that of Dennis Day – one of the original Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeers.
Day, 76, went missing nearly a year ago and remains were recovered in April from the home that he shared with his husband Ernie Caswell, who suffers from age-related memory loss, police told People.
The condition of the body delayed the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office from confirming its identity until now as identification through dental records and DNA was not possible.
Day, 76, went missing in July, 2018 after reportedly heading out to visit friends. Caswell was in the hospital at the time and reported Day missing when he failed to visit him, Day’s sister, Nelda Adkins, told NBC.
Police recovered Day's car several days after he was reported missing, about 200 miles away from his home near Oregon coast. The car was in the possession of two people with no ties to the couple. Police told Fox News that there was no indication that a crime had been committed.
It is not known whether Day's remains were found inside the house or if they had been there since he was reported missing last year. Police said the matter is under investigation.
Meanwhile, Day's family released a statement to Facebook thanking the public for their support.
"Please keep Ernie in your prayers during this extremely difficult time," the post read. "Our family is truly thankful to the Oregon State Police for helping to bring closure to our family so that we can finally lay Dennis to rest. We love you Brother & Uncle Dennis!"
The Mickey Mouse Club initially aired from 1955 to 1959 and Day was part of the cast, People noted. The show was rebooted in 1977 and again from 1989 to 1994, helping launch the careers of Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, and Justin Timberlake.