Human Remains Found In Vail, Construction Project Put On Hold

VAIL, Colo. (CBS4)- The discovery of human remains in Vail has put a construction project on hold and launched an investigation into the mystery of how the remains got there-- and who they belong to.

Crews were tearing down a building when they made the discovery.

The project is a multi-million dollar commercial and residential high rise that is on hold while the death investigation continues.

"We're going to handle everything for all possibilities including criminal activity," said Vail Police Sgt. Annette Dopplick.

The bones were found near a utility right-of-way.

"Our best timeline on anything here is that the utility easement went in in 1967. So it's unlikely any activity would be before that," said Dopplick.

That leaves nearly five decades of possibilities.

"We're open to all possibilities here," said Dopplick. "To say, 'Wow, it could be anything' and you know, it really could be."

The Eagle County Coroner is getting help from an anthropologist out of Grand Junction. They're combing the site and another in nearby Edwards where the original skull was found on Thursday.

"It makes it a little difficult geographically here when we have a dispersal through the truck of the dirt that's been removed so we have two locations.

Adding to the mystery is that the utility line was covered with fill dirt which was shipped in nearly 50 years ago. That means the skeletal origins could be from anywhere.

The only thing that is certain is the bones are human.

One of the more prominent cold cases in Vail is from 1975. A 26-year-old ski instructor was kidnapped and raped by Ted Bundy. He claimed to have dumped her body 80 miles west in Rifle but her remains have never been found.