PINEDALE — The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office has positively identified human remains found in 2025, saying they belong to a Scottish man named John Gillies.
The investigation spanned two continents, involving the sheriff’s office, the Wyoming State Crime Laboratory, Interpol, and Police Scotland.
Scattered skeletal remains were originally discovered Sept. 6, 2025 by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department near the Sweetwater Gap Guard Station. The condition of the remains prompted a secondary search Sept. 10, 2025 where a 14-person search team examined roughly 20 miles of terrain for additional remains. An anthropologist working with the case estimated about 85% of Gillies’ remains were recovered and had been in the area for about six years. Personal items were also recovered that led investigators to believe the remains belonged to Gillies.
Investigators contacted Gillies’ ex-wife as no other next of kin reside in the United States. She provided details and photographs of Gillies, including his medical history and life story. Investigators also contacted Saint Mary’s Church in Kirkintilloch, Scotland, which assisted in locating Gillies’ surviving family and facilitating an international death notification. DNA from GIllies’ relatives was collected and sent to Cheyenne to be tested with the remains. On June 30, the Wyoming State Crime Laboratory confirmed the remains were biologically related to the samples provided by Gillies’ family, positively identifying the remains.
The Sublette County Coroner’s Office and the sheriff’s office are now working with Interpol to return Gillies’ remains to Scotland.
“This case is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved and the strength of partnerships that extend well beyond our county and even our nation’s borders. What began as the discovery of unidentified remains in a remote area of Wyoming ultimately brought together local, state, federal, and international partners with one shared goal—to give a family answers. We are grateful to everyone who played a role in helping bring John home,” Sheriff K.C. Lehr said about the investigation.
