Authorities in western Colorado say a human skeleton found in a partially buried car belongs to a man who was reported missing 26 years ago.
The Mesa County Coroner’s Office identified the man on Monday as 65-year-old Ronald Vasey. He went missing in 1987.
The sheriff’s department says someone hiking near John Brown Canyon Road, near Gateway, called 911 at about 6 p.m. Thursday to report a crashed vehicle below a cliff. The old station wagon was roughly 100 feet off the roadway, and it was partially obscured by rocks and sediment that presumably washed down over the years.
Deputies found personal items in the car, including clothing and credit cards.
The coroner’s office says it appears Vasey committed suicide.