So, finding a knife or other household item there was not surprising. The family’s position.
Eric’s family had a different reaction to the find. They insisted on a re-examination. His mother sent a written request to the police, emphasizing that her son had a similar knife.
The family then provided several home photos showing Eric on previous hikes holding exactly the same folding knife with a distinctive shape, a dark handle, and a metal rim at the base.
According to his mother, the knife was a gift from his grandfather on his 18th birthday, and Eric always took it with him.
This information forced investigators to change their approach. The knife was sent for examination to a forensic laboratory.Search Guides
Expert examination specialists compared the found item with the photographs provided. Several characteristic details were established.
The shape of the handle matched. A crack was found on the blade in the same place as in the photo taken a year before the disappearance.
