Joshua Vernon Maddux, 18, went missing in May 2008, but the mystery has finally been solved after his remains have been found in the chimney of a Woodland Park cabin.
The decomposed remains were found on August 7 in the chimney of a cabin that was about to be demolished in the Wildernest development near Rampart Range and Kelley’s roads in Woodland Park.
According to Chuck Murphy, owner of Murphy Constructors, the cabin was purchased by his parents 60 years ago. It was apparently originally the homestead of the Thunderhead Ranch, which was famous in the past for illegal gambling and other activities.
Murphy said his brother lived in the cabin for some years before making it into a rental and it has been standing empty for around 10 years. He said he would occasionally go to the cabin to check on it and eventually noticed there was a bad smell. Recently the cabin was up to be demolished, as part of a new development of 32 single-family homes but once the body was found, demolition had to be halted until the coroner had completed his investigation.
At a news conference Tuesday, Teller County Coroner Al Born said they used dental records to identify the body and that it was, indeed, Joshua Vernon Maddux. According to Born there was no sign of trauma to the body or foul play, saying it appears that Maddux voluntarily tried to gain access to the cabin via the chimney.
He said Maddux was a “tall, skinny kid” and was probably attempting to shimmy down the chimney, but ended up getting stuck and unable to get help. Reportedly there is a wood-burning insert in the fireplace inside the cabin, which makes it impossible to exit the chimney at the bottom.
The Gazette writes that an article written by Joshua’s sister, Kate Maddux, was published in the News of Woodland Park website Friday, describing Joshua as a "highly intelligent, kind, creative person and a talented musician.”
Kate Maddux continued in the article by saying ever since Josh went missing at the age of 18, they have assumed he may have decided to leave town to start a new life. Kate said she always chose to believe that this was the case, but that she always expected Joshua to return home to their father’s house at any time.
Photo: Colorado Bureau of Investigation
Source: The Gazette
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