A forensic facial reconstruction sculpture created to help identify the remains of a man found in Park County on May 28, 2024. (Photo provided by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation)
Colorado investigators are asking for help identifying a man whose remains were found in a Park County forest last year, state officials said.
Park County sheriff’s deputies found the human remains in a remote camping area outside of Bailey on U.S. Forest Service land at about 12:30 p.m. May 28, 2024, according to a news release from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
The man’s remains are estimated to have been in the area since 2022 or 2023, state officials said in the release.
To help people identify the man, a forensic facial reconstruction expert created a sculpture believed to resemble the man’s face, according to the release.
A forensic facial reconstruction sculpture created to help identify the remains of a man found in Park County on May 28, 2024. (Photo provided by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation)
Investigators said the man was likely between 5-foot-11-inches and 6-foot-8-inches tall, 30 to 60 years old and of Eastern European descent. Recent genetic testing strongly indicated the unidentified man has Slovakian DNA, officials said.
Because of his DNA, Colorado investigators believe the man may have relatives in Pueblo; Omaha, Nebraska; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, according to the release.
“This focus is driven by the discovery of numerous DNA matches across Nebraska and the identification of strong Czech/Slovak communities in Pueblo and Cedar Rapids,” Colorado officials stated. “The Cedar Rapids area is home to a significant Czech/Slovak cultural community and is also linked to a known Slovakian DNA match.”
Information about how the man may have died was not available on Thursday.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s tip line at 720-295-6642.
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