PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. — Pueblo County officials have partnered with a DNA lab in Texas in hopes of identifying a man whose remains were found in a grass field in April 2017.
The remains were found after a grass fire in a field just east of Gruma Road on the west side of the Arkansas River. The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office determined that the remains had been there for an "undetermined period of time" before the fire.
The remains were charred in the fire but not destroyed, according to the sheriff's office.
Investigators believe the remains belonged to an adult male, either white or Latino, who stood between 5 feet 11 and 6 feet 3 inches tall.
Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Nearly eight years later, the man's identity remains a mystery.
“The ever-developing and emerging DNA technology is a blessing,” said Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter in a statement. “This technology helps us to find identity for even our most difficult cases.”
The sheriff's office and Pueblo County Coroner's Office have partnered with Othram, a forensic DNA lab near Houston, to identify the man. The company will develop a "suitable DNA extract" to then create a "comprehensive DNA profile" that can be used in records research and forensic genetic genealogy.
“People need to know that even though this is an old case, and even though the remains were burned, we have the ability to identify this man,” said Kristen Mittelman, chief development officer at Othram, in a statement. “Whoever this man was, his family deserves to know what happened to him and we can make that happen.”
Pueblo County officials are asking for donations to help cover the cost of the casework.
Anyone with information about the man the investigation is asked to call the coroner's office at 719-583-4673 and reference case number 196-2017.
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