Mystery as three ‘mummified’ bodies found at remote Rocky Mountain camp

The condition of the bodies suggests they had likely been there through the winter or even since last fall, the sheriff said

Three “fairly mummified” bodies found near a Rocky Mountain camp (AFP/Getty)

Three “heavily decomposed” bodies were found at a remote Rocky Mountain campsite in Colorado, and may have been there for a year, Gunnison County authorities said.

A hiker noticed one of the bodies on Sunday and notified the police, who found the other two bodies on Monday, Gunnison County Undersheriff Josh Ashe said in a statement. One body was in a wooded area that hikers don’t usually explore, Sheriff Adam Murdie told CBS News, adding that the other two bodies were found in a zipped-up tent.

The statement said it “appeared the individuals have been deceased for a substantial period of time.” Because the bodies were “fairly mummified,” it suggests they had likely been there through the winter or even since last fall, the sheriff said.

“Whether they froze to death in the winter or the combination of starved or froze, that’s what it sure seems like,” said the sheriff, noting that the actual causes of death won’t be known until the autopsies are completed. Due to the condition of the bodies complicating the process, autopsies could take as long as three weeks, he added.

Although Sheriff Murdie said it would be more common for campers to die of carbon monoxide poisoning by using heaters in enclosed spaces – rather than freezing or starving – this situation doesn’t indicate that was the case, due to how the bodies were found and the remoteness of the site.

Investigators are trying to “determine what they were actually doing there and why,” Mr Murdie told CBS News. The sheriff’s department is looking for missing persons reports that could provide more insight into the events leading up to the finding.

Sheriff Murdie added that a number of items were also recovered from the scene: personal belongings, tarps, and a lean-to built from logs over a fire pit.

“This is not a typical occurrence anywhere, by any means,” said Mr Murdie. He said that the discovery shouldn’t suggest the area is unsafe for hiking.

Undersheriff Ashe echoed this notion, telling the outlet that investigators “didn’t observe anything on-scene that makes us believe that there was crime involved in this,” including no weapons or signs of violence.”