CO CO - Margaret Renee Armbrust, 24, Golden - 1973

[MadMcGoo]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) MP111833

Name: Margaret Renee Armbrust, nee Niles
Missing From: Goldon, Jefferson County, Colorado
Missing Since: Around the fall of 1973
Date of Birth: October 17, 1949
Age: about 24
Sex: Female
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 125 pounds
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

Circumstances: In late 1973, Anthony John Armbrust and his wife moved to an apartment in Golden, Colorado. They then sent letters to the members of their church asking them to come get their belongings and their puppy.

No one saw them after the fall of 1973.

On Feb. 11, 1974, two teens hiking in treacherous terrain in the area of Guanella Pass, about 40 miles west of Denver, found the half-frozen remains. He was identified in 2020.

Anthony John Armbrust III (1929-1973) - Find a...

California man found dead near Guanella Pass in 1974 identified, wife remains missing. DNA from a cousin helped investigators identify the victim as Anthony John Armbrust III. His wife Renee remains missing, according to officials. Something went wrong. PARK COUNTY, Colo. — A man whose body was...

www.findagrave.com

DNA, genealogy lead to name of Coronado man found frozen in Colorado in 1974

Anthony Armbrust was an aeronautical engineer who led a metaphysical church in San Diego

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

 

[victoriarobinson642]

DNA, genealogy lead to name of Coronado man found frozen in Colorado in 1974

Anthony Armbrust was an aeronautical engineer who led a metaphysical church in San Diego

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

Born in 1929, Armbrust grew up in Ohio. Marriage records indicate he was first married in Arizona in 1954. San Diego newspaper announcements indicate he divorced in fall 1971. In January 1972, a marriage license was issued for 42-year-old Armbrust and 22-year-old Margaret Renee Niles.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Not finding much in the way of records for her besides some yearbook photos.

 

[MadMcGoo]

View attachment 462520Not finding much in the way of records for her

Same here. There’s another yearbook photo of her listed under Renee Niles. She appears on the ‘50 census in Los Angeles, attended school in Coronado and married Armbrust in San Diego, so it doesn’t seem like she left southern California until ‘73.

At first I thought she’d be close by, but no vehicle was found. His remains were discovered near Geneva Road and US Hwy 285, which is about 50 miles from Golden. Did they walk all the way there? Hitchhike? Did she drop him off, travel to a different location, abandon their vehicle and commit suicide?

Quite the mystery.

 

[heartanium]

Following, there's no unidentified remains in Park County (where Anthony was found). There's two unidentified female remains in Clear Creek but I'm not sure if Margaret would be a good match for either:

UP70566 (Rural Clear Creek, 1995)
UP12550 (Silver Plume, 2014)

There's also these remains that were found in Chaffee County:

UP12577 (Salida, 1986)

 

[Diane Redfern]

 

[HopeRains]

Namus needs to update her profile, has her as missing since January 1, 1975.

 

[643cade]

There used to be a ski area in that area, called Geneva Basin. It operated from the 1960s to the 1980s. It could be possible that they hitchhiked to the ski area or left their vehicle in that area until it was towed. The ski area also has the right elevation mentioned in the article; the base area of the ski area was 10,500 feet and the top area was 11,750 feet. Park County and Clear Creek County line is pretty much at the summit of Guanella Pass (Guanella Road and Geneva Road are the same road).

The other bit of information that caught my eye was that two teens found his body in February of 1974, which means those teens were likely backcountry skiers or snowshoers because that area gets a lot of snow in the winter and hiking in the traditional sense of the word is impossible, and makes more sense with the ski area being around that area.

I think the former ski area has something to do with this case.