Parents Grieve Death Of Missing Soldier

The parents of Staff Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin had vowed never to let the U.S. Army forget about finding their son.

Their efforts included trips to the Pentagon and even meeting with President Bush, but they ended in disappointment Sunday: An Army general told them the remains of Maupin, a soldier who had been listed as missing-captured in Iraq since 2004, had been found.

"My heart sinks, but I know they can't hurt him anymore," Keith Maupin said after receiving word about the remains of his son, who went by Matt.

"This has been especially difficult for the Maupin family because of not knowing for almost exactly four years. So I want to extend my condolences," Gates said, speaking to reporters aboard a flight to Denmark.

TheArmy didn't say how or where in Iraq his son's remains were discovered, only that the identification was made with DNA testing, Maupin said. The discovery of a shirt worn by soldiers at the time Matt was captured helped the Army focus its search.

The Department of Defense issued a terse statement Monday announcing an official change in status from missing-captured to deceased. There were no details of how and when Maupin died or where his remains were found.

The Army was continuing its investigation, Maupin said.

Matt Maupin was a 20-year-old private first class when he was captured April 9, 2004, after his fuel convoy, part of the Bartonville, Ill.-based 724th Transportation Company, was ambushed west of Baghdad.

A week later, the Arab television network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape showing a