CO CO - Garfield Co, WhtMale 35-65, 789UMCO, skeletal in tent, Sep'04

Rle7

Active Member
Joined
May 17, 2005
Messages
1,598
Reaction score
282
The case is as cold as the bones, which lay bleaching for perhaps five summers and five winters before the man's remains finally were found in remote underbrush in the White River National Forest.



The skeleton was found at what appeared to have been the campsite for a well-provisioned sleep among the pines. The man died in a sleeping bag under a domed tent with $620 in cash, 20 packs of Camel cigarettes and a pair of size 9M Timberland brown-and-black hiking boots, but with no identification. There was no sign of foul play.

"He just didn't leave his name on anything," said Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario.

The sheriff's office hopes that a possible farewell note addressed to someone called "Lib" might lead to the identification of the skeletal remains discovered nearly two years ago in the drainage of No Name Creek at about 9,700 feet elevation. The site is about 6 miles as the crow flies from Glenwood Springs, but 12 miles by the Transfer Trail out of town.

"If somebody says, 'I'm going to drive to the mountains of Colorado and kill myself,' they'll kill themselves in their car or park and walk into the forest and kill themselves," Vallario said. "But this case is not like that."

The man carried currency dated as late as 1999, leading to the conclusion he had been dead for at least five years before his remains were found Sept. 8, 2004.

His final notes, recently deciphered from a deteriorated notebook found with the skeleton, opens something like this: "I should wait in case my situation here doesn't improve. This may be the end of my journey."

The pocket-sized, green, spiral notebook has hand-drawn artwork on the cover, including some figures and what may be a cat within a heart.

After the first weathered page, the next four or five pages are increasingly difficult to interpret, but the message seems to be a request for someone to claim the corpse, cremate it and conduct a service.

The bones have offered a few clues: The man was white, about 6 feet tall and probably in his late 40s to late 50s. However, the skeleton also showed evidence of arthritis and degeneration in the bones of the neck and back, which would have caused pain while carrying a pack.

A forensic odontologist's inspection of the teeth provided more clues: The man had extensive dental work, including gold work, crowns, bridges and fillings in almost all his teeth, suggesting the man had money. So far, the leads and tips to the sheriff's office have been dead-ends. The case remains a mystery, the man's identity a needle in a haystack.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4678855,00.html
 
:)

Greetings friends....I am new here....
my request is for anyone named "LIB" who may know a man who went missing between 1999-2004
He had several items with him including a green spiral 4"x5" notebook.
on the cover he drew a heart inside the heart is a cat+ a bell+a cross

rather than try and explain this to you please look at the two colorado
newspaper articles about it.
Post Independent from April 20,2006 article by: Dennis webb
also you will find an article in the Rocky Mountain News
from may6,2006
local section written by Joe Garner
There is alist of items with him including these:
reading[wire rimmed glasses]
sunglasses
a Sweetwater-water-filtration kit
20[once a carton?] Camel cigarettes packs
8-multi colored butane lighters
pocket sized Battleship game
"4 in 1" Radio Shack Game
Silver[Sharper Image] binoculars
a Bell?[could be cat bell?
was wearing a black belt[don't know type pf buckle]
blue backpack
yellow+green plastic poncho
brown sleeping bag
blue hairbrush
six $100.00
one$10.00
one$5.00
five$1.00
=620.00.........which in his note he asks "LIB" to use to creamate his remains...in the note in the 4"x5" spiral notebook

one pair of SIZE 9 M Timberland hiking boots brown& black[shown in gallery at the newspaper site]

Green Eureka dome tent

Blue & Black Jansport backpack

Green camping pillow


plus other items....which can be seen at the Garfield County police department

If you have any information,call Garfield County Sheriff's Office,970-945-1377
Ext.1025

To call anonymously,call CrimeTips ,970-384-3625

or email at
crimetips@garfield-county.com
I am hoping the word can be passed around and that this man gets a proper
burial thanks!
 
Rle7 said:
The case is as cold as the bones, which lay bleaching for perhaps five summers and five winters before the man's remains finally were found in remote underbrush in the White River National Forest.



The skeleton was found at what appeared to have been the campsite for a well-provisioned sleep among the pines. The man died in a sleeping bag under a domed tent with $620 in cash, 20 packs of Camel cigarettes and a pair of size 9M Timberland brown-and-black hiking boots, but with no identification. There was no sign of foul play.

"He just didn't leave his name on anything," said Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario.

The sheriff's office hopes that a possible farewell note addressed to someone called "Lib" might lead to the identification of the skeletal remains discovered nearly two years ago in the drainage of No Name Creek at about 9,700 feet elevation. The site is about 6 miles as the crow flies from Glenwood Springs, but 12 miles by the Transfer Trail out of town.

"If somebody says, 'I'm going to drive to the mountains of Colorado and kill myself,' they'll kill themselves in their car or park and walk into the forest and kill themselves," Vallario said. "But this case is not like that."

The man carried currency dated as late as 1999, leading to the conclusion he had been dead for at least five years before his remains were found Sept. 8, 2004.

His final notes, recently deciphered from a deteriorated notebook found with the skeleton, opens something like this: "I should wait in case my situation here doesn't improve. This may be the end of my journey."

The pocket-sized, green, spiral notebook has hand-drawn artwork on the cover, including some figures and what may be a cat within a heart.

After the first weathered page, the next four or five pages are increasingly difficult to interpret, but the message seems to be a request for someone to claim the corpse, cremate it and conduct a service.

The bones have offered a few clues: The man was white, about 6 feet tall and probably in his late 40s to late 50s. However, the skeleton also showed evidence of arthritis and degeneration in the bones of the neck and back, which would have caused pain while carrying a pack.

A forensic odontologist's inspection of the teeth provided more clues: The man had extensive dental work, including gold work, crowns, bridges and fillings in almost all his teeth, suggesting the man had money. So far, the leads and tips to the sheriff's office have been dead-ends. The case remains a mystery, the man's identity a needle in a haystack.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4678855,00.html
thank you..I am researching this case...also still no leads...
 
This a very interesting case. Apparently there were no missing persons reports that fit this man....sad. I hope someone is able to find Lib.
 
The UID's notebook/diary could be a big clue as to who he is if a website had a bigger image and closeup of his diary- a photographed excerpt could be much help as someone could possibly identify his handwriting- depending what shape the diary is in now to possibly do that as the diary could possibly be too aged to try and do that because of how long it would have been sitting out in weather along with the body...
 
Here is a recently posted story about an unknown camper found by hunters some five years or so after his death... It is more recent than the "Mr. Bones" case of Bedford, PA. Maybe this one can be solved.
--------------------------------------
Unidentified White Male
The victim was discovered on September 8, 2004 in the Flat Tops, Garfield County, Colorado
Estimated Date of Death: No longer than 5 years prior to discovery
Skeletal remains
Vital Statistics

Estimated age: Late 40s to late 50s, but could have been anywhere from 35 to 65.
Approximate Height and Weight: 6'0"
Distinguishing Characteristics: Forensic examiners say he suffered some discomfort from degeneration in his back and neck.

Possessions: Among other evidence found there were a map of the Flat Tops, numerous packs of Camel cigarettes, a lighter, whistle, bell and some pepper spray.

Other: A pocket-sized, spiral notebook with a green cover with hand-drawn artwork depicting a heart and some figures inside the heart, including what appears to be a cat.

A letter in a recovered page in the notebook starts out with "Dear Lib," possibly a nickname. "I should write in case my situation doesn't improve. This may be the end of my journey," the note continues. While increasingly difficult to read, it apparently goes on to ask someone to claim the man's body, and then makes a reference to services and cremation.

Case History

The victim was located September 8, 2004, by bow hunters in a remote area north of Glenwood Springs.
The skeleton revealed no cause of death and the sheriff's office has been assuming it probably was natural.

The man was found in a tent in a wooded, remote location. His trousers had rotted away, but the date of currency found at his campsite indicates he apparently had been there no longer than five years.

The letter leaves open the possibility the man was suicidal, although there is no reason to believe he killed himself. Perhaps he was terminally ill and chose to take his life. The man also could have succumbed to unexpected illness or injury while on an outing in the Flat Tops.

Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact:
Garfield County sheriffs Office

Source Information:
Glenwood Springs Post Independent
The Doe Network Case File 789UMCO

Link:
http://www.doenetwork.org/
 
This one really makes me hope that a forensic anthropologist report was more thoroughly explained. It would be very unlikely to me that a person with "degenerative" issues in his back would be likely to go out that far into the wilderness without realizing that he would be in more pain than anything. He must not have expected to live out this event, because a smoker would take about a month to go through those 20 packs of Camels. (This is my mom's usage -- I am not a smoker.) The packs look like the ones they did around 2000 or '01 when they did "retro". But the pic isn't all that great (and neither is the condition of the pack).

When one looks at a map of the area, you can tell pretty quick that only a rather healthy person would be able to sustain themselves very long up in those mountains. The terrain goes from about 7600 feet to over 10,000 feet in the wilderness area. Thus, he didn't get that far into the area's more scenic routes.

I would think that if he had some sort of serious degenerative disease in his back, that he would have had to have seen a doctor. Especially since it seems like he had some other sort of issue as well that more than likely killed him and not his back. And perhaps, "Lib" knows this and is looking for him to return. I wonder why she has not come forward.

This is also one of those times that I wish Doe or Charley project was a little better about dealing with age or something other than gender. This one seems like there are so many clues to it that it should be solved.
 
Wow yesterday I was going through the missing and found this guy http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/n/nash_michael.html

and saw this Unidentified you were talking about.. I turned it in.. probably not the same person... But the Missing guy's dissapearance is VERY weird.. Like he left on his own.. but made up an excuse before he went.. I think both stories are so interesting!
 
It would seem that this man was at least somewhat experienced in Wilderness hiking and camping. He had a tent and was comfortable in it - brought his ciggarettes and lighter. The whistle may have been part of his survival gear - used for signalling or calling for help.

The bells and pepper spray were probably carried because he was aware of how to survive in bear country. Bells worn on clothing, give bears a warning that you are coming and they have a chance to get out of your way. The pepper spray is used in case they don't.

His writing might indicate that he was planning suicide, or it could also be that he was terminally ill and wanted to die out in the wilderness rather than in a hospital or home. It is also possible that he simply went for his hike and fell ill or had a heart attack while alone. His note could have been about that as well - but probably would have been more specific about his symptoms.
 
This stricks my heart as so sad. I wonder if he might have been Indian and went off to die by himself. I met a full blooded Cherokee indian man some years ago that said the Federal government came looking for his father because they owned more land than they were supposed to. He told them he didn't know where his father was and I took that to mean his father had gone off to die but as usual, it was one of those questions I should have asked and didn't. I wonder if his camping gear could be traced. Maybe he bought it all at the same time at the same store. I thought he might have charged it but then with the amount of money he had on hand he probably paid cash for it so I dropped that idea. Was he from the local area? I also wonder if he was trying to say, drop his ashes from a glider if Lib choose that option and also if he might have been saying, Eyes or ears are going. So many questions. Would the case be it would cost too much money to find out his race and try to trace all these items?
 
or it could also be that he was terminally ill and wanted to die out in the wilderness rather than in a hospital or home.

That's the impression it left me, the diminishing clarity of his writing would lead to believe he was fading away from an unspecified terminal condition. However his notes could also indicate he was a dying outdoorsman who wanted to go out in the wilderness one last time but overexerted himself in the process, and couldn't make it back. In any case, he knew he was dying but it doesn't feel like suicide, more like resignation in the face of the inevitable.
 
Would the case be it would cost too much money to find out his race and try to trace all these items?

Good question. When LE thinks no foul play is involved, do they spend less resources on ID'ing a body?
 
Wow yesterday I was going through the missing and found this guy http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/n/nash_michael.html

and saw this Unidentified you were talking about.. I turned it in.. probably not the same person... But the Missing guy's dissapearance is VERY weird.. Like he left on his own.. but made up an excuse before he went.. I think both stories are so interesting!


__________________________________________________________

I have taken this case as my "Adopted one"
I feel that he would be identified if the Law could find out who the "LIB"
is he addressed his notebook to.
This man had gold dental work including a gold tooth correct?
Surely someone remembers a person gone missing with a gold tooth ha?

I would like it if a forensic artist would do a computer generated or
clay face reconscruction of John Doe #789UMCO
There is also another similar case the man had $6,000.00
with him it is case #551UMOR
this man has not as much gear with him....
somebody once thought he was DB COOPer?

________________________________________________________
About the #789UMCO case:
His map looks as if[ I wish somebody from the area were on here to compare notes with]
ok again...on his notebook are drawings
a Bell + a Cat? below them a cross with Jesus on it? The man drew long hair on the man on the cross?
all this is inside a heart.

Now after doing some awful lousy research yours truely came up with the following info which isn't very helpful..

He could be from a place called MEEKER ,Colorado?
It's near where he was discovered.
He may have stayed at the Sleepy Cat Guest Ranch,,Meeker Colorado
The nearest states to this location are:'
Wyoming [ which can be accessed through the same mountains
Utah [ Again could be gotten to through the same mountains]
Colorado { closer to Denver ] than any other Colorado city
White River National Forest....
Who is Lib?
Lib stands for Elizabeth among other names .
He had a "4 in 1 radio Shack Game" ? date made??2000 ?
He also had a pocket sized battleship game
Now I looked online and found a "radio Shack 4 in 1 Game" at an auction last year
I asked the seller to look on it for me and tell me the date it was made.
She told me it was issued in the year 2000
so i wondered had this man gone missing soon after Christmas?
To have justified buying all the camping equipment without arising suspicion since he wanted to leave?
Also He smoked Camel filterless cigarettes he had a carton of 20 packs with him...
well if everyone reads all the stuff he had with him no way could he have taken it up there ..it says he has a bad back from the description of his remains.
He was 6' probably?
aged 35-65
white male
size 9M Timberland brown & Black hiking boots
Ok so that's all no use listing all his stuff when you can go to the Doe Network and read it yourselves ha ha...
actually they are too numerous to list and take up valuable space with..
Oh he wore wire rimmed glasses too...
you can see all this at the link..
 
I wonder if he was camping with someone else...the travel-sized battleship game is a 2-person game. And would 1 hiker carry 3 canteens? I don't know the terrain, so I suppose it might be possible depending on the availability of water...

Also, you could read "Lib" to be the person he was hiking with, and the sentence "I should wait in case my situation here doesn't improve" stating his decision to wait for Lib to return with help? I can't imagine writing a note indicating that I wanted cremation, if I went 6 miles out into the wilderness to kill myself. Seems odd. Sounds to me like he got into trouble out there, and tried to leave his last will and testament in that notebook, expecting someone to come looking for him with a reasonable idea where he might be. The glider reference seems to me to be a request to scatter his ashes one of several ways.

I would not take the severe degeneration of back and neck to mean that he was suicidal...apparently there were no prescription bottles found, only an empty Tylenol bottle. So although there may have been bone issues, it sounds like the pain was tolerable. I suspect that the reference to his "situation" was a reference to weather...perhaps he got caught in a cold snap or storm, and did not have the right gear or enough food to survive it?
 
I grew up in the area.

Glenwood Springs is right off the interstate (I-76) heading from Denver into Grand Junction an hour further west (this side of Colorado is called "The Western Slope" - the Denver side is called "The Eastern Slope").

Rifle is between Glenwood and Junction - and you have to turn off there and go North to get to Meeker. Craig is even further North of Meeker. If you were to make a circle - Glendwood and Rifle would be on the bottom, Meeker would be on the left and Craig would be up top (really not much to the right, just some very small towns). Flat Top Mountain would be inside that circle - part of the White River Nat. Forest. It's very remote - you'd go there only to hunt or fish, to be left alone, or if you are a serious hiker/camper.

Aside from Grand Junction, none of these areas are heavily populated. And 5 years ago, Junction was just beginning to see a population increase. They aren't typical tourist destinations - people who love the outdoors go to these areas, but otherwise they aren't supported by tourism.

This man had to know the Western Slope - or else he was simply a traveler who decided to head up to the mountains and die alone; he could have bought all the camping supplies right in the area. I'd bet he's either from Colorado, Utah or Wyoming - someone who knows the real west and is comfortable with outdoor sporting - not many people come in from the other surrounding states. If he wanted to die in peace there, then I see no reason why he wouldn't have put up with a lot of back pain to get there. Coming from Wyoming, Meeker would be the most natural and largest place for a rest stop before heading to the Forest - the Sleepy Cat is not in Meeker, it's about 20 miles east, in the valley. It's not an expensive place to stay, but it's not dirt cheap either.

You don't really travel through the same mountains to get to Utah or Wyoming. Junction is a more flat, desert mesa type area leading into a flat area of Utah. Other mountains lead the way into Wyoming - there are routes to avoid the worst of the elevations/twists.

Well I hope that helps you a little with your adopted case. Pretty sad that he wanted his body claimed but we still don't know who he is.
 
Marie did a good description of the area. I currently live in Denver, but grew up in Montrose which is farther to the south. Flat Tops Wilderness area is very remote, very rough country, and well known among the hunting crowds. If you have google maps: Type in "Flat Top Wilderness Area, Colorado" then look for a lodge called Trapper's Lake Lodge. Trapper's Lake is on the edge of the wilderness. Glenwood Springs to the south is on Interstate 70, the main East-West Interstate through Colorado. Meeker and Craig are very big with the hunting crowd with record deer and elk coming out of the area.

The story of the Flat tops body is fairly well known around that part of the country. If he was local, I believe that he would have been identified long before now. There is a lot of "drifter" traffic along the Interstate because of the major railroad access. They've always had issues with illegal camping around the Glenwood Canyon area by drifter or homeless travelers. (Used to call them HOBO's in my parent's day.)

What about this: A man who may have known the area from his military days (several bases on the Eastern Slope around Denver and Colorado Springs), may have hunted up in the wilderness areas, may have been hiking and camping in the area, and ends up there in later years. It sounds more like someone who is sick and injuried and unable to get out of their situation and they die alone in the wilderness.

The possibility of the man having been at one of the military bases which means that he might have been hiking or even training up in the mountains at some point is an interesting thought. I know some of the bases do mountain training up in that country, but it's also popular with the crowd wanting to get out of the Denver area (or the military bases) for a long weekend camping and hunting! So maybe he knew the area from back in his military days, and ended up there as a "drifter", became injuried or sick, and just died alone. Hmmm....

I hadn't thought about this story in a long time, glad to see it here.
 
Hi AMF - so you grew up in Mo-town, huh? I grew up in Junction/Fruita and my dad's still there.

The military connection is a good idea. This guy seemed to have $, so I don't think he was a hobo, but for sure he's not local.

Hunting season is October & November, if that helps.
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
163
Guests online
1,106
Total visitors
1,269

Forum statistics

Threads
589,940
Messages
17,927,978
Members
228,009
Latest member
chrsrb10
Back
Top