The investigation into Campbell’s disappearance started in December 2022, when HPD first received information regarding his missing status.
The case was initially assigned to then-detective Jim Gross, who has since retired, according to HPD.
During the early stages of the investigation, detectives secured medical and dental records and obtained a DNA sample from a family member, which was submitted to BCI.
Despite these efforts, investigators were unable to locate Campbell at that time. A break in the case occurred last August when a contractor performing maintenance within the sewer system near the intersection of Third and Market streets observed what appeared to be a human skull via a video inspection camera.
Upon notification, HPD and the coroner’s office responded to the scene.
HPD detective Doug Trenum and coroner’s investigator Dan Bagley were lowered into the sewer system to document the scene and excavate the remains, which were then submitted to BCI for extensive testing.
After several months of analysis, the DNA profile obtained from the remains resulted in a positive match to Campbell through Combined DNA Index System, an FBI-managed national software program and database system that stores and compares DNA profiles from convicted offenders, arrestees and crime scenes.
Additionally, the familial DNA sample collected by detectives in 2022 provided secondary confirmation of the identity.
“The foundational work performed in 2022, combined with the recent efforts of current investigators from the Butler County Coroner’s Office and the Hamilton Police Department, has helped provide Mr. Campbell’s family with a measure of closure,” HPD said in the release.
The department continues to investigate the details surrounding Campbell’s death, and the Butler County Coroner’s Office is investigating its cause and manner.
HPD asks that anyone with information regarding the case call Trenum at 513-868-5811, ext. 1270.
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