TUCSON (KVOA) - For nearly 40 years an Idaho man and his mother had no idea if their loved one was dead or alive.

The man had a suspicion and a DNA test proved his worst fears.

A DNA test proved that the man's suspicions were correct.

But, it took four decades to learn the man's fate.

They didn't know for four decades.

The remains no longer belong to John Doe they belong to John Leigh III who died in a fiery plane crash in August of 1984.

The crash site was not found until 13 years later by hikers in the Rincon Mountains. They took a picture and asked to remain anonymous.

They told News 4 "The site was very steep, brushy and difficult. The shot obviously depicts some of the wreckage among the brush."

News 4 spoke to John IV "I really want to hike up to the crash site like I've said before that's the official burial site, and I want to pay my respects up there if I can get there."

He was just 4 years old when his dad disappeared.

"It really doesn't affect me like it affects my mom, because I never knew him, and to me, the biggest part is that I know now that he didn't skip out of town and it gives me peace."

Dr. Bruce Anderson works for the Office of the Medical Examiners. He said there were the remains of four adult men who were on the plane. He had to exhume the remains when Susan Leigh and her son John IV wanted to know if their loved one John III was on that ill-fated flight.

He sent DNA samples from the bones to three different labs, but it was the California Department of Justice Missing Persons DNA Program that not only identified Leigh's DNA but the three others as well.

Anderson said, "It took a while for DNA technology to improve to where they could get DNA profiles, good quality DNA profiles, out of degraded bone like this."

Also found in the wreckage besides remains, several personal effects. such as aviator glasses, a BIC lighter, a briefcase lock, and a pocket knife.

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