The remains of Mitchell Dale Stehling have been found at Mesa Verde National Park/NPS
Seven years after a Texas man vanished while on a hike at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado his remains have been found.
Mitchell Dale Stehling, 51, had set out in June 2013 for a short hike to the park's Spruce Tree House, a 130-room archaeological site with eight ceremonial chambers, known as kivas. The man's wife, Denean Stehling, speculated that her “directionally challenged” husband, hiking without water or a map on a hot and sunny day, might have been misled by a sign pointing to the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum and inadvertently went off trail.
A family spotted him on the nearby Petroglyph Point Trail. This 2.4-mile-long, narrow, and rocky path requires hikers to clamber in places up a stone staircase to reach the top. There are places along the trail where it wouldn’t be hard for someone to wander into the backcountry.
The family told Stehling’s wife they leapfrogged past one another and were together at the petroglyph panel 1.4 miles from the trailhead, but they never saw him afterwards. Neither did anyone else, though later there were reports from a hiker on the Petroglyph Point Trail who claimed to have heard someone calling for help.
Mesa Verde officials announced Friday that an anonymous tip led to the discovery of human remains in a remote area of the park. Park law enforcement rangers, with assistance from ISB and Montezuma County Coroner’s Office, located and retrieved the remains on Thursday.
"Personal items located with the remains are consistent with identification, and the presumptive identity of the remains is that of Mitchell Dale Stehling," the park said in a release. "DNA analysis will be performed to positively identify the remains. There is no indication of foul play. The remains were found approximately 4.2 miles from the point where Stehling was last seen."
Comments
I read that the anonymous tipster was most likely in an area that was off-limits (as no st the whole park is) so he would have been concerned about divulging his name when it was illegal for him to have been in that area.
Yeah, people heard him calling for help but oddly, his Remains were found over 4 miles from there. Walking an additional 4.5 miles in weather that was over 100 with no water seems unlikely. But as unlikely as it seems, that's prob what happened.
yes it would be interesting for someone to cross reference the veteran/military status and or occupation/past occupations with a comprehensive list of those missing in National Parks across the US.... there are only a few entities out there that would be skiled/intelligent enough to leave neither hide nor hair....extra terrestrial alien option.....skilled guerilla warfare- illegal drug/human traffickers (of which I have heard rumors are actually scattered throughout US in national parks) and of course skilled military personell (our or foreign)-not sure what the purpose would be to capture/ use lawful American/ hikers/ hunters/ tourists.... since there are plenty of potential mindless people on the streets in America (not saying thats right just saying...) and lastly, of course there is the - it's a demon entity. To be honest, I don't know if in their totality the stats would be considered susicious or alarming considering there are 350 million Americans, probably 50 million illegal immigrants that live & work here that are actual lawful and just living, and then who knows how many illegal unlawful immigrants but this year alone 2 million illegally crossed the border, so lets assume every year there are at least 500,000 illegal unlawfuls....where do you think they go? heading for the hills, or the natiional parks might be possible. I used to hike when I was younger, I am a veteran and I have three grown daughters who have hiked most of the Appalachain, in the Rockies and many of the National Parks, it is true that there are some weird people out there but the majority out in those parks are simply nature loving, respectful, good people, so it seems odd that things would be happeing out in the wilderness and even more so that those in control of the Parks woudn't want to make a list and let people know who is out there and may still need help or to be found.
I agree. Your explanation makes complete sense to me. The fact that he was directionally challenged told me he would have easily gotten lost. I didn't think about it from the standpoint of him being lethargic from extreme dehydration. I don't hike. I actually came across this information from a YouTuber named Mr. Ballen, who covered this story. He covered it about a month before Stehlings remains were found.
Agreed. Mistakes are made more readily when people are dehydrated. Doesn't sound like he was prepared well for this site. Perhaps once he realized he was off the trail, he panicked, which you need more fluids in your body if you're under stress. I find it a bit odd that the dogs couldn't get a scent on him and follow it. It probably took him several days to wander off 4 + miles. Dying of old age makes it seem like he didn't fall, he just got dehydrated and wasn't able to be found so I do to no food or drink.
I have to agree,!!! MY question is about the anonymous tip!?!
WHAT is THAT about? Why anonymity? Something is VERY WRONG with this ENTIRE THING!
we Hiked the petroglyp trail last June, right after the point where he was last seen it gets quite tricky! We are older and a couple of us needed help to get ourselves up the tricky area. Basically you have to climb up a 6 plus foot wall with no railing it's just a wall that you must get up to finish the hik. What makes it even more difficult is that should you fall backwards there is no opem area for you to stumble, you are going to go off of the cliff. Thankfully for us a much younger couple were ahead of us and they waited for us so they could assist us. if he was hiking alone and had no help it is possible he didn't make it up that wall and fell backwards, it's just a theory but i could see it happenin.
the anonymous tip was the park ranger that ah ignored people saying they heard a man crying out for days for help and the family who was worried and the rangers went eh not my job
i bet you they really checked after didn't want to admit fault and did a tip a bit later