Investigators return to ‘remote area’ in Utah County after human remains found

SALT LAKE CITY – Investigators were back in a remote area of Utah County on Sunday after human remains were discovered in the mountains above Springville late Saturday night, according to Sgt. Ray Ormond with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.

“Last night, we found possible remains in a remote area of Utah County,” Ormond said. “Due to the late hour, poor visibility and terrain, investigators are back in the area to continue the investigation.”

A witness, who was riding a horse in the area, had seen the remains earlier in the day but was unable to call in due to the lack of cell phone service.

Once the witness had cellphone service, they called 911.

According to the sheriff’s office, they confirmed that they were human remains and they were still investigating and processing the scene.

By Tuesday, the sheriff’s office said they had possibly identified the remains using personal belongings found at the scene, but would need to wait for forensic identification to be certain.

The sheriff’s office said a next of kin was notified of the possible identity, and it could take months for results to come in.

“This has been a challenging scene for various reasons like terrain, the remote location, and the fact the remains appear to have been there for some time. All of these things play a factor in the investigation,” Ormand said. 

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This is a breaking news story and it may be updated.