Remains of man not seen for nearly a year found in remote wetlands, Utah cops say

Skeletal human remains found in a Utah bird refuge have now been identified as those of a man who hadn’t been seen for nearly a year, Utah sheriff’s officials reported.

Dental records were used to identify Elijah Peck, 42, of Garland, Utah, the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office said in an April 5 news release.

Peck was last seen in May, although he was not reported missing, deputies said. Investigators are treating the case as a suspicious death since the cause of death can’t be immediately determined.

The remains were found in a remote area of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge near Willard Bay at 10:45 a.m. Saturday, March 30, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Deputies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed the remains were human, the sheriff’s office said.

The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is about a 60-mile drive northwest of Salt Lake City.

The refuge covers about 80,000 acres of the northeast arm of the Great Salt Lake, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. More than 210 species of birds visit the refuge.

Sheriff’s officials ask anyone with information to contact 435-734-6530 or detectives@boxeldercounty.org.

This story was originally published April 7, 2024 at 2:52 PM with the headline "Remains of man not seen for nearly a year found in remote wetlands, Utah cops say."