Human remains found in Mt. Tabor forest

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Human remains were found by hikers in the Green Mountain National Forest in Mt. Tabor, north of Dorset in Western Vermont, 10 days ago, according to the Vermont State Police.

The identity of the dead person and the circumstances surrounding the death are unknown at this time.

According to a State Police press release, issued just today, Tuesday, May 5, hikers in the forest on the late afternoon of Saturday, April 25, found a pair of aged and partly buried hiking boots in a boggy area. What appeared to be human foot bones were found inside the boots. Police then conducted a search of the area without finding anything else. The remains were taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for analysis, which confirmed the remains were human.

On Monday, May 4, a team made up of VSP’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Search and Rescue Team and Crime Scene Search Team, along with North Country Search Dogs and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement searched the area and found more remains and a nearby site with outdoor gear and personal items, all of which were partly or mostly covered in several layers of leaves, forest growth and soil.

Analysis of the remains and associated items is continuing. The state police asks that anyone with information that could assist investigators call the Rutland Barracks at 802-773-9101 or submit an anonymous tip online by clicking here.