Current:Home > NewsHuman remains found in Washington national forest believed to be missing 2013 hiker -ProfitQuest Academy
Human remains found in Washington national forest believed to be missing 2013 hiker
View
Date:2025-04-13 16:09:28
A hiker who found remains in a Washington national forest earlier this month may help lead authorities to closing a 2013 missing-person case in the remote area.
Investigators say there is a hiker who went missing in the area more than a decade ago and the medical examiner will help determine key details about the decedent.
A hiker who was climbing Aug. 10 on the Big Lava Bed in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest alerted authorities that they had found human remains, a press release from the Skamania County Sheriff's Office said.
The hiker located a human skull and recorded the GPS coordinates, the release said, ultimately leading sheriff's investigators to the site several days later.
Investigators believe, based on preliminary evidence, that the remains belong to a hiker who went missing in the Big Lava Bed in 2013 - and there are two open cases from that year.
The sheriff’s office said the skull and other remains in the area were transported to the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office.
USA TODAY contacted the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office for more information about the found remains.
Woman missing:For 4 days on spiritual hiking trip found alive in Colorado
Missing hikers at Gifford Pinchot National Forest in 2013
Reports indicate there were at least two hikers reported missing in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in 2013 whose cases remain unsolved.
In October 2013, the Skamania County Sheriff's Office reported a missing hiker case in the forest, according to Reuters.
Kristopher Zitzewitz, 31, an Oregon resident, went missing after being separated from his hiking partner in the Big Lava Beds of the forest near Mount Rainier, the article from Reuters details.
The search for Zitzewitz was suspended on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, the Skamania County Undersheriff Dave Cox told Reuters in a written statement.
A few months earlier in 2013, another hiker went missing after going on a spiritual quest in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Maureen Kelly, 19, a Vancouver resident, went missing on Sunday, June 9, 2013, after leaving the forest’s Canyon Creek Campground. Kelly was last seen naked and wearing a fanny pack that contained a compass and a knife, an article in The Colombian says.
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search for Kelly on June 10, 2013, and suspended their efforts the next day, the newspaper said.
Both Kelly and Zitzewitz have not been found, according to the reports.
Contributing: Reuters
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.
veryGood! (42)
Related
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Halloween in July is happening. But Spirit Halloween holds out for August. Here's when stores open
- Pilot living her dream killed in crash after skydivers jump from plane near Niagara Falls
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Backpack
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Everything you need to know about Katie Ledecky, the superstar American swimmer
- Fossil Fuel Development and Invasive Trees Drive Pronghorn Population Decline in Wyoming
- LSU cornerback Javien Toviano arrested on accusation of video voyeurism, authorities say
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Defamation suit against Fox News by head of dismantled disinformation board tossed by federal judge
Ranking
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- Ryan Reynolds Reveals If He Wants More Kids With Blake Lively
- Esta TerBlanche, who played Gillian Andrassy on 'All My Children,' dies at 51
- Pressure mounts on Secret Service; agency had denied requests for extra Trump security
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- Halloween in July is happening. But Spirit Halloween holds out for August. Here's when stores open
- LeBron James selected as Team USA male flagbearer for Paris Olympics opening ceremony
- Maine state trooper injured after cruiser rear-ended, hits vehicle he pulled over during traffic stop
Recommendation
The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
Trump, JD Vance, Republican lawmakers react to Biden's decision to drop out of presidential race
Emily in Paris Season 4 Trailer Teases Emily Moving On From The Gabriel-Alfie Love Triangle
San Antonio church leaders train to serve as mental health counselors
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
Billy Joel on the 'magic' and 'crazy crowds' of Madison Square Garden ahead of final show
Powerball winning numbers for July 20 drawing: Jackpot now worth $102 million
Mega Millions winning numbers for July 19 drawing: Jackpot now worth $279 million