Officials believe they have identified the human remains found in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado as belonging to a German man who went missing nearly four decades ago.
The human remains are believed to be those of Rudi Moder, a West German ski mountaineer who was 27 when he went missing 38 years ago, according to the press release from the National Park Service. Moder had been reported missing on Feb. 19, 1983, by his roommate, days after he had left for what was supposed to be a two-to-three-night ski trip.
“The discovery and recovery of Rudi Moder’s remains closes out a nearly four decade long cold case at Rocky Mountain National Park,” the press statement read.
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Moder’s remains were discovered by a hiker in August 2020, near the Skeleton Gulch area of the park, according to the statement. After being alerted to the discovery of human remains, researchers conducted an initial investigation that was sidelined due to “priorities shifting to the Cameron Peak Fire closing the area, followed by the East Troublesome Fire.”
The first search for Moder, which began on Feb. 20, 1983, and ended on Feb. 23 of that year, yielded several clues, according to the statement. While the snow affected the conditions of the investigation, search parties were able to discover a sleeping bag and a food cache, among other gear belonging to Moder.
While the first investigation ended four days after it began, others were conducted throughout the spring and summer, according to the press release.
“This summer, park rangers further searched the scene and found skis, poles and boots, along with remains of personal items believed to belong to Moder,” the National Park Service said. “The FBI Evidence Response Team assisted park rangers with the recovery of remains.”
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A coroner from Grand County in Colorado attempted to confirm the human remains through the dental records, but the results were “inconclusive.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the National Park Service for a statement but did not immediately receive a response back.
