Found Deceased CO - Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro, 38, called 911, car stuck in snow, Clear Creek Co, 13 Feb 2022

[meanmaryjean]

I apologize in advance. I am very unfamiliar with the area…

What is the likelihood that she’s close to where her car was found and sadly her body just hasn’t been located yet?

I think it's the likeliest explanation honestly.

 

[Limecat]

I think it's the likeliest explanation honestly.

That’s what I think, too. So sad. And yes, stay in your car. My Dad had an elderly neighbor couple who got stuck in a blizzard out in the country. If you knew them, they were very sweet but very naive, and were the last people you’d think would survive any type of disaster. They were stuck for four days with only some water, a couple of candy bars, and some gum. But they knew if they tried to walk out they’d be done for, so they just stayed put and they were 100% fine. Every time I’d visit with them in the back of my head I’d be thinking how did these two people make it.
MOO

 

[TanyaA]

Possibly her remains found yesterday.

Skeletal remains found in Clear Creek County

The sheriff's office said the human remains were found in the Miner's Candle area.

www.9news.com

 

[YaYa_521]

Possibly her remains found yesterday.

Skeletal remains found in Clear Creek County

The sheriff's office said the human remains were found in the Miner's Candle area.

www.9news.com

Here's an UID thread for these remains.

CO - Skeletal Remains Found, Clear Creek County, 4th June 2022

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

Miner's Candle is where in relation to where her car was found?... Yes, I can map it but if anyone has a boots on the ground sense?...

 

[SimplyCass]

Melinda Tafoya-DelToro - View Obituary & Service Information

Share Memories and Support the Family.

www.abplace-funeral-cremation.com

The source is...not the best. A tribute wall run by A Better Place, a funeral home based in Denver, CO. Her full DOB was not disclosed on the missing posters, but it does line up with her being age 38 (born June 1983, missing in February 2022).

There's more info on FB, though I can't link to it. It's that info + this link that I can reasonably conclude that the UID found is Melinda. Rest in peace, Melinda.

 

[GraceG]

I apologize in advance. I am very unfamiliar with the area…

What is the likelihood that she’s close to where her car was found and sadly her body just hasn’t been located yet?

It's pretty rough terrain but not one that could not be searched by experienced SAR after snow melt. Remains were found in that specific area in early June after the snow melt. The person has not been identified (DNA testing can take six weeks or more depending on the LE capabilities) but the article does reference the remains were found in a continued search that first started in February (when this lady went missing). Remains Found In Clear Creek County Near Miner's Candle

 

[emberglade]

It was Feb 13. Maybe she was on the way to or from seeing someone, and things went south? LE might not be mentioning a SO because they're the POI /moo

I wonder if the heat will reveal anything with the snowmelt... as upsetting as it is, she could have "been" in the embankment or some rocky area covered in snow

And if she doesnt turn up in the area... where are the closest traffic cams? If she was under someone else's influence, she might've been taken with those people in another vehicle, or she could have tried to hitchhike and gotten picked up by an unsavory individual. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the area, and only barely so, but these sound likely to me

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Found deceased June 4. Positively identified.

Remains found in Clear Creek County identified as missing woman who called 911 in February, then disappeared

The human remains found in Clear Creek County in early June have been identified as a woman who went missing after calling 911 for help getting out of the snow in February.

www.thedenverchannel.com

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — The human remains found in Clear Creek County in early June have been identified as a woman who went missing after calling 911 for help getting out of the snow in February.

The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office said the person was identified as Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro, 38.
****************
They searched the area extensively but did not find any sign of Tafoya-Deltoro.

As the snow melted and the search continued, they found human remains on June 4 in the same area.
The Clear Creek County Coroner’s Office has identified the remains as Tafoya-Deltoro. The cause and manner of her death are under investigation.

Anyone with information about this case can call Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office Lt. Gemillion at 303-679-2354.

 

[Tssiemer]

Found deceased June 4. Positively identified.

Remains found in Clear Creek County identified as missing woman who called 911 in February, then disappeared

The human remains found in Clear Creek County in early June have been identified as a woman who went missing after calling 911 for help getting out of the snow in February.

www.thedenverchannel.com

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — The human remains found in Clear Creek County in early June have been identified as a woman who went missing after calling 911 for help getting out of the snow in February.

The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office said the person was identified as Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro, 38.
****************
They searched the area extensively but did not find any sign of Tafoya-Deltoro.

As the snow melted and the search continued, they found human remains on June 4 in the same area.
The Clear Creek County Coroner’s Office has identified the remains as Tafoya-Deltoro. The cause and manner of her death are under investigation.

Anyone with information about this case can call Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office Lt. Gemillion at 303-679-2354.

This phenomenon of people's bodies being found where places have been searched and so close to last known location.. it drives me nuts.
To me the implication is she wasn't there when searched but ended up there.
Why didn't she just stay with the car? Shelter, warmth, etc. Does anyone know if your brake lights work if your battery or engine is dead?

 

[SimplyCass]

This phenomenon of people's bodies being found where places have been searched and so close to last known location.. it drives me nuts.
To me the implication is she wasn't there when searched but ended up there.
Why didn't she just stay with the car? Shelter, warmth, etc. Does anyone know if your brake lights work if your battery or engine is dead?

i don't know if we can make that conclusion. It's too vague/not specific enough.

There are some major gaps in this case. What happened between when she called and when LE found her? What do they mean when they say she was possibly under duress? why was she in that area? (Family has said that she doesn't snowboard or ski.)

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro, 38, had been missing since Feb. 13, according to the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office. How she died is still under investigation.

FOX31 met Tafoya-Deltoro’s family in Lakewood days after her disappearance. They were looking for answers, saying they did not know why she was up in Clear Creek County in the first place and that she did not snowboard or ski.

Woman’s remains identified in Clear Creek County

Human remains found in Clear Creek County have been identified as a woman last heard from in February, when she called 911 saying she was stuck in the snow.

kdvr.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The Miner's Candle area made news three months before Tafoya-Deltoro's disappearance when a small wind-whipped wildfire caused evacuations of some residents.

Remains of Missing Woman Identified

Remains found after considerable snowmelt near Dumont are confirmed to be those of a woman who went missing in February after calling for help because her car was stuck in the snow.

www.cbsnews.com

Tafoya-Deltoro, 38, called 911 from the Miner’s Candle area of Clear Creek County on Feb. 13 saying she was stuck in the snow. The area is south of I-70 between Idaho Springs and Georgetown. Authorities responded to the area and found her vehicle, but at that time Tafoya-Deltoro wasn’t nearby. Her remains were eventually found on June 4, authorities didn’t elaborate on how far she was from the vehicle.

Remains of missing Colorado woman identified, authorities ask anyone with information to contact them

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is asking anyone who has information on the death of Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro to contact them.

www.kktv.com

 

[wendybtn]

Log into Facebook

Melinda's FB

The above account is not this woman's. Her FB account is here - https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004935316360

RIP

 

[SimplyCass]

The above account is not this woman's. Her FB account is here - https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004935316360

RIP

She has multiple profiles...if you look at a post dated 2/23/22, you can see three Melinda profiles tagged in that post. The one you linked is the one that most of her friends/family were tagging in their posts, but they're both hers.

 

[wendybtn]

She has multiple profiles...if you look at a post dated 2/23/22, you can see three Melinda profiles tagged in that post. The one you linked is the one that most of her friends/family were tagging in their posts, but they're both hers.

There is no post dated 2/23/22 that I can see, nor any post with multiple FB profiles.

 

[mewmew]

There is no post dated 2/23/22 that I can see, nor any post with multiple FB profiles.

It’s the June 20th post on the FB link you posted, looks like she had 3 accounts. I wonder why…maybe forgot her password to the others or something, idk. JMO. RIP Melinda.