On June 24, 2020 at approximately 1:01pm, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Tadpole Fire Incident Command Team notified the Grant County Sheriff's Office of the presence of suspected skeletal human remains within the fire zone near Ben Lilly Pond. Upon contacting USFS Fire Staff at the Base Camp, Deputies were informed a saw crew had encountered the remains. Due to the remote nature of the location and active fire/smoke conditions, the site could not be safely accessed until daybreak the following morning. A USFS Saw Crew accompanied Deputies to the site, cutting through thick vegetation and steep terrain for a distance of approximately 3/4 mile.

The scene yielded two partial sets of human skeletal remains and multiple objects of personal possessions. The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) was present while the scene was processed. The remains are believed to

be those of a middle-aged male and female, neither are thought to be New Mexico residents and may have been reported as missing persons in 2015 or later. At the current time, it is believed the remains have been in the location since August 2015.

The human remains have not been identified and are undergoing forensic examination by OMI. This matter remains under active investigation by the Grant County Sheriff's Office.

We would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Forest Service and the Shasta Lake (CA.) Hotshots Saw Crew in this matter.

The Sheriff is requesting the public's assistance in this investigation. If you have any information regarding this matter, please contact the Grant County Sheriff's Office Investigations Division at (575) 574-0100 or Dispatch at (575) 388-8840.