Police are looking into the “heavily decomposed” bodies discovered at Gold Creek Campground.
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Authorities say three decaying remains were discovered at a rural Colorado campsite.
A hiker discovered one of the “heavily decomposed” bodies at Gold Creek Campground about 4:57 p.m. on Sunday and alerted authorities, according to Gunnison County Undersheriff Josh Ashe in a Facebook message on Wednesday.
“At approximately 8:02 a.m. on Monday, July 10th, 2023, Investigators from the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office located the campsite and discovered two additional heavily decomposed deceased individuals within the campsite,” according to the statement.
“It appeared the individuals had been deceased for a significant period,” according to the statement. “At this time, the identities of the deceased individuals are not being released. The reason of death for the three people is unknown pending the results of an autopsy.”
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According to Ashe, there are “no known risks to residents or outdoor enthusiasts recreating in the area” where the bodies were located.
According to an ABC News article, Gunnison County Sheriff Adam Murdie stated that two dead were discovered inside a small tent. At the same time, the third was found outside the camp, which was in an area not regularly frequented by camping hikers. Tarps, personal possessions, and a firepit were also present.
“This is not a typical occurrence anywhere, by any means,” Murdie said, according to ABC News, adding that the bodies were “fairly mummified.”
“Whether they froze to death in the winter or a combination of starved and froze, that’s what it sure seems like,” he continued.
Murdie also stated that officers “didn’t observe anything on-scene that makes us believe that there was crime involved in this,” according to CBS News Colorado.
He also told CBS News that the sheriff’s department is looking for missing people reports that could shed light on the case, but none have been discovered so far. The names of those who perished will not be released until their relatives are notified.
“At this point, it appears that these three individuals began long-term camping near Gold Creek Campground in (approximately) mid-late July last Summer 2022 and attempted to stay through the winter,” he explained.
