Idaho bowhunter discovers remains of man missing for 53 years

During a seemingly regular afternoon of September hunting in Idaho’s Lemhi County, a bow hunter made a startling discovery.

On Friday, September 17, the hunter phoned Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office, claiming he had found human remains.

Upon further investigation, a wallet containing an ID was found on the remains, identifying the body as Raymond Jones, who’d been missing from the area since 1968 following a solo mountain goat hunt.

39 year old Jones was reported missing on September 7, 1968 and an official search launched September 9, 1968. The search was ultimately called off due to severe snowy weather.

According to Lemhi County Sheriff, Steve Penner, “The hunter was seeking a shortcut from one hunting area to another when he found human remains and then contacted the Sheriff’s Office.”

Jones is survived by his wife and various family members who have since been contacted.

“It’s pretty wild ain’t it?” says Penner. “You have another bowhunter looking for a shortcut who stumbled upon a bowhunter from 53 years ago.”

Jones would have been 92 years old if still alive today.