SWEETWATER COUNTY — A group of hunters discovered a human skull while harvesting an elk four miles north of Wamsutter on Saturday, Nov. 11.
According to Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Jason Mower, the skull was found in the sagebrush in the middle of nowhere in the Red Desert, with no major roads nearby.
Mower said the Sheriff’s Office received the report at around 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Mower said that as the hunters were retrieving their harvest, a bright white object caught one of the hunter’s attention out of the corner of their eye.
“Upon investigating, they found a human skull. The lower jaw was detached, resting near the rest of the skull. The skull appeared to have been there for quite some time. It was sun bleached with only bone remaining (no human tissue),” Mower said. “Our deputies and detectives conducted a canvas search of the area surrounding the skull, finding no other bones or human remains.”
Mower said that there were no obvious signs of trauma or foul play.
“We’re also unaware of any open, cold, or missing persons cases we have that might connect the skull to a known victim of a crime. The county coroner responded to the scene, collected the skull, and has sent the bones to a forensic lab for analysis,” he said.
SweetwaterNOW will follow this incident and provide updated information as it becomes available.
