Human hand found along Salmon River may belong to Boise man missing for over 3 years
After multiple failed searches, the family of Randy French, a Boise man who’s been missing for more than three years, is hoping that a human hand found by the Salmon River this month might help them find answers.
Idaho County Sheriff Doug Giddings told the Lewiston Tribune on Wednesday that the remains have been sent for analysis to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification. The hand was reportedly found on the riverbank on Jan. 5.
The Idaho County Sheriff’s Office previously said they believe the 54-year-old Boise native crashed into the Salmon River north of Riggins on the morning of June 30, 2017. Randy French hasn’t been seen since.
Randy French’s sister, Sherry French, told the Idaho Statesman on Thursday that her family is hopeful for closure. She said police are collecting DNA samples from her father in an effort to find a match to the human hand.
Since his disappearance, items from inside Randy French’s truck and parts of the vehicle have been found along the river — but neither the Chevrolet he was driving nor French himself has been recovered.
French’s family has had at least two prior false alarms, once in 2018, when a human bone was found in the Salmon River, and once in 2017, when part of a body was found in the river. The French family was notified, but ultimately neither of those bodies belonged to Randy French.
Sherry French said they were also notified last year when a skeleton was found, but it couldn’t be identified as her brother.
“While I pray for them, it just wasn’t our time,” Sherry French said about the other bodies found in the river.
A dive team previously searched the river multiple times for Randy French’s body. The family had the help of the Jon Francis Foundation, an organization that supports families who have lost a loved one in the wilderness and need search advice and assistance.
Sherry French said simply, “We’re looking for the closure.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 10:19 AM.
