Remains of German man missing for 38 years believed to be found in Colorado

Authorities
believe the skeletal remains found in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park are
that of a West German man who went missing during a ski trip 38 years ago. In February
1983, 27-year-old Rudi Moder was reported missing by his roommate in Fort
Collins, Colorado after he did not return from a three-night trip over Thunder
Pass into the Rocky Mountain National Park, officials said in a release on
Thursday.

Park
officials said that the search for Moder at the time was difficult as more than
a foot of snow that covered the area hampered “search efforts in finding tracks
and other clues,” CNN reported.

Over
several days, search parties on the ground and in the air recovered several
clues, including a food cache and a snow cave with his sleeping bag, but never
found Moder.

The search
included teams on skis and snowshoes, a dog trained to find people in avalanche
debris and a helicopter. The search efforts continued in the spring and summer
that year.

In August
2020, a hiker found skeletal remains near the debris from an avalanche. However,
the investigation could not be completed as authorities were busy tackling issues
like wildfires and high volumes of snow.

In the
summer of 2021, skis, poles, boots as well as personal items were found that
park rangers believed belonged to Moder. However, the Grand County Coroner’s office
could not verify the identity from dental records.

The park
rangers were assisted by the FBI Evidence Response Team in their search
efforts.

Park
officials are considering the case closed and are working with the German
government to repatriate the remains.

“Officials
have worked extensively with the German government for repatriation, family
notification and dental record analysis,” the park said.

Last month,
authorities found the human remains in a Massachusetts state park that belong
to Elijah Lewis, a five-year-old from New Hampshire who had been missing for
over a month.