The human remains of a Caucasian male were found in Garfield County, Colorado, in September 2004. Along with the bones were various items belonging to the victim. Medical examiners could not determine the cause or manner of death due to the condition of the remains but estimated he had died no more than five years before. His identity remains a mystery.
Circumstances
On September 9, 2004, bowhunters found human remains of a Caucasian male inside a tent at a campsite in a remote wooded area six miles north of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, in the Windy Point area near No Name Creek in Garfield County.
He is known as the Garden City John Doe (GCJD for later reference)
The man was between 27 and 65 years old and stood between 5’11” and 6’1″ tall. He was a smoker and suffered arthritis and severe degeneration in his back and neck. He most likely suffered debilitating back pain. His death occurred no more than five years before. Authorities based this on cash found at the site dated 1999.
GCJD had extensive and expensive dental work, including gold work, crowns, bridges, and fillings in almost all his teeth. He wore size nine brown and black Timberland hiking boots, and his trousers rotted away.
Forensic experts created a clay composite of the man’s face with and without glasses and a mustache. Authorities presumed someone would be looking for this man, although they acknowledged that might no longer be the case if he died in 1999.
Authorities believe the man might have been from Australia because his sleeping bag was branded Perth, Australia.
Other Remains Found in Garfield County
There were several other human remains found in Garfield County between July 2003 and October 2004.
On July 7, 2003, a fisherman found a human skull in the Colorado River belonging to a Black or Hispanic male about 27 years old. He remains unidentified
Two months later, on August 9, 2003, a man and his son discovered part of a human skeleton belonging to a white male between 27 and 66 years of age on a steep hillside on Red Mountain just west of Glenwood Springs.
The man’s estimated date of death is 2002-2003. Dentals and fingerprints are available for identification purposes. However, there is insufficient DNA for profiling.
The man was initially listed on The Doe Network and NamUs, but the agencies removed the listings sometime around August 2021. He was likely identified.
On August 6, 2004, investigators found a body in the Colorado River that authorities later identified as Thomas James Atkinson-Fritzlan, 22, of Fruita.
Per his obituary: “Thomas loved bull riding and bareback riding. He won the world in bareback riding and took second in bull riding at the Little Britches National Finals in Colorado Springs when he was just a junior rodeo hand.He graduated DeBeque High School in 2000. He played football for the Collbran Cowboys and basketball for the DeBeque Dragons.”
In October 2004, a cattle herder discovered a human skull in a remote area of Garfield County about two miles from the top of Douglas Pass. The skull was smaller than the others found and later determined to be female and that of Sabrina Bebb-Jones. It looked “weathered” and could have been there for an extended period, Sheriff Lou Vallario said.
In 2009, Scotland Yard agents arrested Sabrina’s husband, Marcus Bebb-Jones, at his home at 41 Merton Close, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England, charging him with first-degree murder, concealing death and domestic violence, said Tanny McGinnis, spokeswoman for the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.
Sabrina and Marcus Bebb-Jones once owned the Hotel Melrose in Grand Junction. Her husband, who was then 34, told police his wife left the city with the couple’s then-3-year-old son after the couple argued at Mesa Mall.
He later told guests at the hotel that he was headed to Las Vegas to look for Bebb-Jones, who grew up in the area.
The couple’s son was found alone in a Las Vegas motel room September 21, 1997. The next day, Marcus Jones apparently tried to kill himself. He shot himself in the head, but the wound was not life-threatening, police said.
He was granted conservatorship of Bebb-Jones’ possessions in May 1998 and sold the hotel. He moved back to his native England to be with his son and mother. — Kirk Mitchell, The Denver Post via Aspen Times.
Marcus was extradited to the U.S., where he stood trial for his wife’s murder and was later sentenced to 20 years in prison.
THEORIES
There are a couple of theories regarding the GCJD. However, they do not explain how he might have died.
Number 1: The man was hiking for several days after entering the Flat Tops Wilderness at a trailhead from the north, setting up camp in a southern drainage. This theory arose from the two trail maps of the Flat Tops discovered with the man’s remains. The maps were marked with a route to where the remains were found. (Matthews, 2021)
Number 2: The several pairs of items (canteens, drinking cups, and maps) discovered suggested that “Lib” was GCJD’s hiking companion.. (Matthews)
Mark Allen Husk
Reddit users believe the GCJD might be Mark Alan Husk, 49, who went missing on October 12, 2003.
Mark was last seen at his home at 407 Little Chicago Road in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. For whatever reason, nobody reported him missing until November 5, 2003, three weeks after he disappeared.
By all accounts, Mark was an avid outdoorsman and often traveled the country for extended periods. He frequently traveled by bus or took an Amtrak train to New York City. (Good, 2004) He highly resembled the clay composite of Garden County John Doe.
TCD’S THOUGHTS
I think the Reddit users are on to something, with Mark Allen Husk being the GCJD. He bears a striking resemblance, he loved the outdoors, and was known to travel the country.
However, there are a couple of reasons to think it isn’t him.
Mark stood at least two inches shorter than John Doe, and the glasses in his picture were larger than those found with John Doe. Mark wore wire-rimmed glasses.
I don’t think the “Perth, Australia” reference bears much weight. The man could have traveled there and bought the backpack as a souvenir.
It’s possible that GCJD did have a hiking companion, but why hasn’t “Lib” come forward? I also think Lib could stand for “Libby” and could be a spouse, former spouse, girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, daughter, or other family member.
Considering not one person came forward claiming the remains could mean they do not know he is dead, or no one has ever reported him missing, and they are not actively looking for him.
It is also strange that nobody appears to be looking for Mark either. He could have a wife and kids somewhere. I found a Matthew Husk, age 65, who lives at 1341 Little Chicago Road in Ferrisburg, VT.
Matthew has to be Mark’s brother. Why is he not searching for his lost brother?
Furthermore, I found a Karen Husk, now Karen Quigley, with a former address that matches Mark’s. She is the same age as Mark, so this is his wife. Why in the hell isn’t she looking for her missing husband???? How long after his disappearance did she remarry? She is living the good life and has traveled all over the world. There are ZERO public photos of Mark on her Facebook page.
I think Mark’s disappearance is highly suspicious. If he is not the GCJD, then someone he knew and who he was very close to killed him.
Sources
“4th Body in 14 Months Found in Garfield County.” Fort Collins Coloradoan, September 22, 2004.
Good, Meaghan. “Mark Allen Husk.” The Charley Project. https://charleyproject.org/case/mark-allen-husk
“789UMCO – Unidentified Male.” The Doe Network. https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/789umco.html
Matthews, Zane. “Death ON the Colorado Flat Tops is a 16 Year Unsolved Mystery.” 92.9Nin.com, January 25, 2021. https://929nin.com/flat-tops-wilderness-unsolved-death/
McKibbin, Mike. “Body Found Probably White Male, 50 to 60.” The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction, Colorado), September 22, 2004.
McKibbin, Mike. “Human Skull Found Near Douglas Pass.” The Daily Sentinel, October 8, 2004.