THE body of an 18-year-old man reported missing seven years ago was found in the chimney of an abandoned cabin less than two kilometres from his home, with the details of his death likely to stay a mystery.
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Dental records confirmed the remains were those Teller County Coroner Al Born told AP.
Born said he ruled the cause of death as undetermined, but an autopsy revealed no signs of physical injuries such as broken bones or gunshot wounds. It’s unclear why he was at the cabin or in the chimney in the first place, and how long exactly his remains have been there.
Maddux’s family say they are now grateful for the opportunity to properly lay him to rest after years of searching.
It is believed that Maddux who was tall and skinny tried to go down the chimney and got stuck because there was a wood-burning insert in the fireplace of the cabin that made it impossible to get out of the the chimney at the bottom and he wasn’t able to crawl back up. I called all his friends. His niece, Liora, said the family never gave up looking for him.
When his mother came home later that day, Maddux was gone and was later reported missing, police said. However, no one heard from Josh, and days turned into years. “Given the unusual circumstances, it may be a miracle that Josh has finally been found”.
“‘Josh was one of the nicest people I have ever met, and I am very proud to be his sister”. It was located on Thunderhead Ranch, a famous gambling spot, according to the newspaper. No one had lived there for at least ten years, he added. He told The Gazette it was unoccupied and unusual smells weren’t unusual because small animals would occasionally die inside, leaving a putrid odor. The cabin, which was purchased by the developer’s family in the 1950s, sat empty for almost a decade.
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Joshua Vernon Maddux’s death was a frightful tragedy, but the discovery of his remains will help his family find closure.
