Human Remains Identified as Oklahoma Man Last Seen 4 Years Ago

The remains of an Oklahoma man who disappeared four years ago have been found.

Dakota Covington was reported missing from the Mead area of Oklahoma on April 29, 2021, according to a news release shared on Facebook by the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).

Covington, who was 27 years old at the time of his disappearance, was described by family as a homebody who kept to himself, according to ABC affiliate KTEN. He was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants, and black shoes.

Dakota’s father Scott previously said he saw his son just before leaving for work, but that Covington was gone by the time he returned later that day.

In February, the BCSO “received information regarding the possible discovery of human remains in the southwestern portion of Bryan County,” where Mead is located, authorities said.

Deputies responded to the location, and found “clothing items consistent with what a missing person from Bryan County had been reported to be wearing.”

The area was immediately secured, and on Feb. 22, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) forensic team announced they had “located human remains at the scene.” 

The remains were then sent to the OSBI lab for identification. Nearly five months later, on July 10, OSBI confirmed the remains were positively identified as belonging to Dakota.

Dakota’s cause of death is under investigation, according to authorities, who are continuing to “follow up on leads and gather information related to the case.”

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In April, Felicity Covington, Dakota’s sister, said being contacted by police after the remains were found had opened up “old wounds” and “took away the hope.”

“If you don’t have a body, you can still hold onto the hope that there’s not going to be one,” she told NBC affiliate KJRH.

After his remains were identified, he was remembered by his family as an “amazing son, grandson, brother, uncle, and friend.”

“He was all of our best friend and rock. His siblings miss him terribly,” mom Tara Meyers told KXII. “We all miss him terribly and still need answers to what happened to my baby. They may have found his remains but we still don’t know what happened to him.”

A GoFundMe has been created to help cover funeral expenses.

Anyone with information regarding Dakota’s disappearance or death are asked to contact the BCSO at 580-924-3000.