A peaceful evening in the North Idaho backcountry took a tragic turn this past weekend when a bear hunter stumbled upon human remains deep within our neighboring state’s Coeur d’Alene National Forest, according to North Idaho News. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to the situation around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, dispatching backcountry deputies and detectives to the isolated Marie Creek area.
Reaching the site proved to be a grueling task, requiring emergency crews to saw through a dense blockade of fallen trees just to get vehicles through. Upon arrival, investigators determined that the woman’s body had likely been exposed to the elements for a significant amount of time.
While a passport found at the scene suggests the woman may be a 69-year-old traveler from New York, officials are withholding her identity out of respect until the Kootenai County Coroner’s Office can confirm who she is and properly notify her family.
According to Sheriff Robert B. Norris and Lieutenant Mark Ellis, preliminary evidence does not point to foul play. As the community sends its thoughts to a family likely half a continent away, an autopsy and a thorough investigation are underway to provide the answers and closure this heartbreaking situation demands.