The Mysterious Death of Kurt Sova - Revisited
Episode 040
UPDATE - CASE BEING RE-EXAMINED
Kevin Sova at the press conference announcing a new look at his brother Kurt’s case
On October 23rd, 1981, seventeen year old Kurt Sova had plans to go to a local carnival. Plans changed when he ran into a close friend who invited him to a party at a duplex nearby. The party was filled with locals and people who had driven in from Detroit, and Kurt began drinking heavily. When he began feeling ill, his friend took him outside for some fresh air.
The night had gotten cold, and Kurt's friend went into the duplex to retrieve their jackets. When he returned moments later, Kurt was nowhere to be found. For the next five days, friends and family, along with authorities, searched for Kurt, but could find no signs of him. During the search, several bizarre incidents took place.
A homeless man told a store manager that Kurt would be found dead and that no one would know what had happened to him. A friend of Kurt's claims to have seen him walking along the side of a road, not far from his own home. The owner of the duplex alleged there had been no party, and that she'd never even heard of Kurt. Sadly, five days after vanishing, Kurt's body was discovered posed in a crucifixion like position in a ravine nearby.
Strangely, Kurt's father claims to have searched that very area just the day before, but did not see his son there. A medical examiner could find no cause of death, and thus it was ruled a "probable accident." The Sova family felt their son had been the victim of foul play and that investigators had shirked their duty, and accused them of having no interest in figuring out what happened. The Newburgh Heights Police Department dismissed the family, believing they were simply grieving and in denial.
When a thirteen year old boy named Eugene Kvet turned up dead just months later with circumstances strangely similar to Kurt's, only the Sova family was asking questions. Over the next ten years, new evidence would be revealed, the FBI would file charges against the lead investigator in the case and Kurt's family would be fed important details that were ignored during the initial investigation.
What happened to Kurt Sova? Was his death indeed a tragic accident? Was he the victim of foul play, perhaps by someone at the party or even his close friend? Could Kurt's death and that of Eugene Kvet show the work of a killer in the area? Or were corrupt police officials somehow involved in Kurt's death? Join host Steven Pacheco as he explores this utterly baffling and tragic case in a re-investigation of the first ever episode of Trace Evidence, in episode 40 - The Mysterious Death of Kurt Sova - Revisited.
Listen to 040 - The Mysterious Death of Kurt Sova - Revisited
UPDATE
In late 2019 local media reported that the Newburgh Heights Police Department’s Cold Case Unit were partnering with Tiffin University students to re-examine the case and, hopefully, shine new light on the mystery which haunts his family to this day.
Kurt’s brother, Kevin, told reporters at a press conference “He was just a great kid; he had many friends. We just want to know the truth about what happened to my brother.”
Due to a lack of evidence, Kurt’s case has never been listed as a homicide. However, Police Chief John Majoy is determined to get to the truth. There was no evidence of physical trauma and so Kurt’s death is being investigated as a suspicious death.
Around this same time, CrimeCon announced that in February of this year they would hold a CrowdSolve event in which experts would speak to attendees about the case, present them with evidence and then the attendees would help examine the case in hopes of determining what happened.
While there have been no major updates to Kurt’s case, digging back into the case is just beginning. Many witnesses and people who knew Kurt have since forgotten details and, over forty years, it’s become difficult to figure out exactly what happened. However, there is hope, that Kurt’s case is now receiving more attention and after all this time someone may be ready to talk.
Sources:
https://www.newspapers.com/image/406217728/?terms=kurt%2Bsova
https://www.newspapers.com/image/296055865/?terms=kurt%2Bsova
https://www.newspapers.com/image/294488512/?terms=kurt%2Bsova
https://www.newspapers.com/image/296055852/?terms=kurt%2Bsova
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12583521/kurt_sova/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107948299/kurt-eugene-sova
https://unsolved.com/gallery/kurt-sova/
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Kurt_Sova
http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleveland/128846-any-new-info-kurt-sova.html
https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=165453&page=8
https://www.newspapers.com/image/102091203/?terms=Robert%2BCarras
https://www.newspapers.com/image/294017474/?terms=Robert%2BCarras
https://www.newspapers.com/image/296645251/?terms=Robert%2BCarras |