Cold Case Update: Human Skull Found in Washington Wilderness

A human skull found in Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest may belong to a hiker who went missing in 2013, according to authorities. 🌐 #News #StevensonWA #Washington #MissingPerson

STEVENSON, WA – A human skull found at the Big Lava Bed in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington may belong to a hiker who went missing in 2013, authorities said.

The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said a hiker reporting finding a human skull on Aug. 10 at the Big Lava Bed, an ancient lava flow within the Indian Heaven volcanic field in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

The hiker sent GPS coordinates of the skull’s location, but a deputy who went to the area the next day was unable to find it.

The hiker who originally reported the remains offered to hike back out with sergeant to locate it, and the skull was recovered on Aug. 15, along with additional human remains in the area.

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The sheriff’s office said preliminary investigation indicates it could be a hiker who went missing in 2013, after being last seen in the Big Lava Bed.

Although the sheriff’s office did not provide a name, pending positive identification by the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office, the dates align with the case of missing hiker Kristopher Zitzewitz of Portland.

Zitzewitz was at the Big Lava Bed looking for caves with his partner on Sept. 28, 2013, when they became separated and he vanished, per reports. A search ensued, but he was never found.

Written by TMX staff, with additional reporting by Jack and Kitty Norton.