Remains found in Costa Rican jungle believed to be Alaskan explorer, 27, whose father launched his own daring search mission, insisting son had been murdered
- Cody Roman Dial, from Alaska, mysteriously disappeared in 2014
- Last seen in Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park
- His sleeping mat was discovered in January of this year
- Father Roman Dial launched his own daring search mission after authorities had suspended their investigations
- Dial said: 'We know that Cody was murdered, and we know that there is a suspect'
- Last Thursday, human remains and a collection of Dial's possessions were found deep in the Corcovado jungle
- Father Roman Dial said authorities had been investigating his disappearance as homicide
The remains of what is believed to be a 27-year-old explorer have been found in the Costa Rican jungle, two years after he went missing.
Cody Roman Dial, from Alaska, mysteriously disappeared in 2014 and was last seen in Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park.
His distraught father Roman Dial led his own daring search for his son, who he believes has been murdered, calling in help from an Anchorage wilderness survival school, a former DEA agent and a retired Air Force pararescue jumper, after authorities had suspended their investigations.
Dial told National Geographic: 'We know that Cody was murdered, and we know that there is a suspect.'
An explorer himself, he returned to Costa Rica many times to continue his search but last Thursday he confirmed that authorities had found human remains and believed them to be his sons.
Cody Roman Dial, from Alaska, (pictured_ mysteriously disappeared in 2014 and was last seen in Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park
His distraught father Roman Dial (left) has led the search for his son (right) but last Thursday he confirmed that authorities had found human remains and believed them to be Cody's.
Dial told People Magazine: 'It is with profound sadness and incredibly mixed emotions that I can say my son's remains have likely been found.
'I am on my way to Costa Rica, where Peggy will join me shortly to identify what appears to be Cody's body.
'The FBI and the OIJ are continuing their investigation, though no arrest has been made at this point.'
Dial said in a press release that the location is 'very remote,' about 20 minutes from a 'very little used' poacher and miner trail and about three hours from the nearest tourist trail.
The 27-year-old began his journey in early 2014 travelling through Guatemala, Nicaragua and then finally hacking his way through the notorious National Park.
His father last heard from him in July 2014, when he emailed from an Internet café in the small town of Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica, according to National Geographic.
In a blog post written four days prior, Dial wrote about how he had spent seven weeks in Costa Rica last year with a retired DEA agent named Carson desperately searching for Cody.
He that he spent the time 'getting close to violent men. Sitting down with suspects. Drinking beer with them. Offering them reward money. It was surreal and sickening.'
In January he found the first bit of physical evidence, deep within the jungle.
A sleeping pad that he had once given him in Mexico was found under a miner's plastic tarpaulin.
His father last heard from him in July 2014, when he emailed from an Internet café in the small town of Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica, according to National Geographic. Remains have been found in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica
The 27-year-old began his journey in early 2014 travelling through Guatemala, Nicaragua and then finally hacking his way through the notorious National Park (pictured)
Dial said in a press release that the location is 'very remote,' about 20 minutes from a 'very little used' poacher and miner trail and about three hours from the nearest tourist trail. Pictured: Dos Brazos De Rio Tigre, Costa Rica Gateway to Corcovado National Park
Dial wrote: 'The miner had lived with the mother of the primary suspect. The Costa Rican authorities said it'd be months before forensics confirms the pad as evidence.'
He added: 'It took a year to get our son's case elevated from missing person to homicide. It'll be another year, if ever, before an arrest. In Costa Rica there's no crime without a body.'
The distressing post concluded: 'I'm tired, exhausted. I don't want to go down there again, but I will. Because without our presence, nothing seems to happen.
'I went there first to find him alive, maybe lost and injured. Later to find out what happened. Now I want justice.'
The piece of foam mattress was the only piece of hard evidence - until now
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According to National Geographic, the FBI briefed Dial and his wife Peggy on Thursday morning and the pair were able to identify from pictures the shoes found near the remains as likely belonging to their son.
Along with the remains, 'his passport, money, map and compass, backpack, stove, machete, tarp, sleeping pad, mosquito net and more', according to email from Dial to Alaska Dispatch News.
The area had already been searched according to the site and it is unclear whether the remains have been there the whole time or if they were moved recently.
His frequent trips back to Costa Rica had been documented in a National Geographic series called Searching Dial, which aired for the first time on Sunday.
Now, the FBI and the Oganismo de Investigación Judicial, Costa Rica's federal investigation agency, are continuing their investigations.
No arrests have been made.
Now, the FBI and the Oganismo de Investigación Judicial, Costa Rica's federal investigation agency, are continuing their investigations.
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