MINERAL COUNTY, Colo — Remains found off a mountain pass in southwestern Colorado 33 years ago have been identified as those of an Indiana man, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said.
Investigators said the remains of Steven Kenneth Risku were found on Wolf Creek Pass in Mineral County in 1991.
Investigators with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation Cold Case team and the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office use Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy to identify the remains. DNA was submitted for that testing last year, the CBI said. Dental records helped confirm the man's identity.
Investigators said Risku was born in 1957. His last known address was in Indianapolis. His family indicated that he visited California on occasion. It's unclear why Risku was in Colorado, but his family told investigators he was adventurous and loved the outdoors.
Investigators don't know if foul play was involved in Risku's death.
"The identification of Mr. Risku is a tremendous first step in helping provide his family with answers,” Mineral County Sheriff Terry Wetherill said in a CBI news release. "If anyone has information as to why or how Steven Risku was at a remote location on Wolf Creek Pass or if anyone has any additional questions, please contact the Mineral County Sheriff's Office."
Anyone with information that may help the investigation can call the sheriff's office at 719-658-2600.
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