The victim was one of two people killed in a Sept. 1 fire in the Sifton area
VANCOUVER — The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office is asking the public for help identifying one of two people who died Sept. 1 during a fire at a home on NE 149th Court in East Vancouver.
The body of 46-year-old Wanda M. Francis was positively identified, though the cause of death remains listed as pending.
![A photo of John E. Kovac, PhD, circa 2005. Photo courtesy Clark County Medical Examiner's Office](https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Clark-County-Today-John_E._Kovac_PhD_circa_2005.jpg)
The Medical Examiner has been unable to verify the identity of the second victim, though he is thought to be John E. Kovac, PhD, 83.
They are looking for a dentist who may have records of Kovac, or family members who may be able to identify his remains.
Kovac is reported to have been a professor of Political Science at McKendree University in Illinois, until moving to the Portland area in the mid 1980s.
![A photo of John E. Kovac, PhD, circa 1980. Photo courtesy Clark County Medical Examiner's Office](https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Clark-County-Today-John_E._Kovac_PhD_circa_1980.jpg)
He worked at a university in the Portland area.
Kovac reportedly has a son, David, as well as a daughter, Laura, from his time in Illinois.
Anyone with information about John E. Kovac is asked to send an email to: medical.examiner@clark.wa.gov
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.