Is there a way to find the current owner of a car by the VIN number, in a state where the DMV does not release that information? Ideally I'd like to get an entire vehicle title history.

Yes there is a way, but it's not public information, subject to location someone at a dealership may be able to help unless it's a lease return, in which case the registartion will only show the lease provider. Another provider will be someone within the police dept.

This type information is not readily available for simple reasons " example " imagine someone copy your car's vin # located driver side front dashboard in a mall, and next thing you know stalking your home, lol

look through the glove box for a manual, you may get lucky with a name or a salesman business card along with some old servce records, I estimate about 20% of vehicle's that I have come across will have some kind of documentation in the glove box