Bailey, CO – The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in collaboration with the Park County Sheriff’s Office and the Park County Coroner’s Office is expanding its appeal for public assistance in identifying a man whose remains were discovered last year. Requests for help are now being sent across Nebraska and Iowa.
On May 28, 2024, the Park County Sheriff’s Office received a report of human remains in a remote camping area outside of Bailey on United States Forest Service land. A botanist estimated the remains had been in the area since 2022 or 2023.
The unidentified man, often referred to as “John Doe,” was male and estimated between 30 and 60 years old.
Recent investigative genetic genealogy has yielded a significant breakthrough, strongly indicating the unidentified John Doe has Slovakian DNA. Based on this new information, investigators now believe the John Doe may have relatives in key areas, prompting an expansion of media outreach to Pueblo, CO, Omaha, NE and Cedar Rapids, IA.
This focus is driven by the discovery of potential DNA matches across Nebraska and numerous Czech/Slovak communities in Pueblo and Cedar Rapids. The Cedar Rapids area is home to a significant Czech/Slovak cultural community and is also linked to a known Slovakian DNA match.
As of now, additional information regarding the case, including how the man might have died, is limited. Collaboratively, the Sheriff’s Office, the Coroner’s Office, and the CBI are diligently working to unravel more details. Further updates will be provided as new information emerges.
Anyone who might have information or a tip regarding this case, particularly those with familial ties to the Czech/Slovak communities in Pueblo, Omaha, or Cedar Rapids, is asked to call the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s tip line at 720-295-6642.
To aid in the identification, a forensic facial reconstruction expert was utilized to create a forensic sculpture that may resemble the unidentified man.
