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Body identified 8 months after man's disappearance

The discovery ends the mystery of what happened to the former Navy pilot whose life took a tragic turn into alcoholism.

By JOSE CARDENAS
Published December 12, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - The family of Robert Gray was told last week that there was a 99 percent certainty that the bones found in Clam Bayou Park were his.

The news ends a mystery that began in April when Gray, a college graduate, a successful salesman and former Navy pilot disappeared following a slide into alcoholism.

The Pinellas County medical examiner told Gray's family on Saturday that identification had been found with the body. Dental records will be used today to confirm the identity, the family was told.

"He used to fly planes in the Navy. He traveled the world, what most people would want to do," said one of his sons, Mathew Gray, 24, of Seminole. "He was a good guy, but the alcohol will do things to you."

Gray's body was found in the secluded waterfront park in the 4400 block of 34th Avenue S near Gulfport on Thursday. On Friday, he would have been 59, said Dolores Kyack, his girlfriend.

Kyack said she met him seven years ago at the Pub on Gulf Boulevard in Indian Shores. He came from a Washington, D.C., military family and was a graduate of Florida State University who in recent years had become successful in the insurance business.

"He had a fantastic personality. He had everything in the world going for him," she said.

He was a good father, his sons and Kyack said. "In fact, he sold his boat to buy Matt a car when he turned 16," Kyack said.

Gray made a good living, Kyack said, with an income at one point approaching six figures.

But he lost his job about four years ago, she said, and soon afterward entered treatment for alcoholism at VA Medical Center at Bay Pines.

Within weeks of leaving that program, she said, he returned to drinking. He sought other treatment, Kyack said, but eventually abandoned it and then, in late March, he dropped out of sight to her and the family.

Kyack said she and others passed out fliers with his picture on them, but could not find him.

She said she was able to follow Gray's movements through his bank statements, which along with other mail were forwarded to her address. Gray made his last purchase on April 4.

Around that time, Kyack said, a man called her and said he had shooed Gray away from a condominium complex near Clam Bayou Park. The caller said Gray had wandered away toward the park, where the body was found eight months later by a man walking his dog.

A recorded message from police said over the weekend that they had no new information about what happened to Gray, but more facts may be released today.

"He was a sweet, sweet guy," said Gray's son Jerame, 28, of Kansas City, Mo. "He was very funny. He loved the ocean. He wasn't dangerous to anybody."

[Last modified December 12, 2005, 09:16:25]