Joshua Vernon Maddux was just 18 years old when he went missing back in 2008. A body found in a Woodland Park, Colorado chimney this summer has been identified as his.
It was August when a crew was tearing down a cabin that had been unoccupied for 10 years. Owned by the Murphy family, Chuck Murphy led the crew in the demolition.
Murphy’s family bought the cabin 60 years ago. For the past decade, however, family members would check on the place–running out wild animals and wondering about a terrible smell. In hindsight, Chuck Murphy now assumes the smell was the decomposing body of Joshua Vernon Maddux.
Body of missing 18-year-old found in Colorado chimney — this is so awful: http://t.co/HFic19MfgO pic.twitter.com/OJ2gMkMXND
— Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) October 1, 2015
Maddux was reported missing on May13, 2008. A coroner has ruled his death as accidental. It is believed that Joshua Vernon Maddux was trying to enter the cabin through the chimney. He went in feet first and became stuck in a lower portion.
Using several pieces of evidence, a coroner was able to identify the remains found in the chimney.
#BREAKING:
Body found in chimney in Woodland Park i.d.'d as Joshua Vernon Maddux. Missing since '08.
18 at time of death.
@KOAA_5
— KOAA News 5 (@KOAA_5) September 29, 2015
Maddux sustained an injury that resulted in the amputation of his right index finger. That was the key piece in identifying his body.
While no family wants to learn of a loved one’s death, finding Maddux’s body will at least give them some closure. Not knowing what happened to Joshua Vernon Maddux since he went missing in 2008 no doubt haunted his family for the past seven years.