Dave Hannah, Jr. talks about discovery of father’s remains after 40 years – Kingston | Globalnews.ca

Dave Hannah Jr. spoke about the news from provincial police that it was his father’s car and remains that were recovered from Lake Ontario, a short distance west of Kingston, earlier this month.

“I was numb, I still haven’t processed this,” he said. “But we’re so grateful, so grateful”

It was Jan, 4th, 1983 when Dave Hannah, a correctional officer at Millhaven Institution, went missing. He was last seen at a bank driving a blue Delta 88. Police suspected foul play from the outset.

Hannah’s son was on scene when police divers removed his father’s vehicle initially discovered by chance as police were trying to recover another submerged vehicle in the same location and not far from the prison where he worked. It took two weeks to identify the remains, but Dave Jr. says he recognized the car immediately.

“As soon as I saw the car, yeah, there was no doubts. I was able to go and speak to the OPP recovery team and I thanked them.”

It’s also brought an end to 40 years of searching and wondering what happened to his father.

Dave Jr. was just 11 when his father vanished and while this discovery answers a decades-old question police still aren’t sure how he died and are awaiting forensic test results. But for Hannah’s two sons, it’s a chance to close a painful chapter in their lives remembering a father who spent a lot of time with them, enjoying the outdoors.

The family plans to hold a memorial service.

Authorities, meanwhile, are still working to learn more about the circumstances surrounding his death 40 years ago.

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