Body found in Ogden Canyon ID'd as hiker missing since June

OGDEN — A body found Saturday in Ogden Canyon has been identified as James Purdy, investigators said Tuesday.

Purdy, 60, was an experienced hiker familiar with the mountains in the Ogden area, said Weber County Sheriff's Capt. Klint Anderson. His family had filed a missing-persons report with Ogden police after he had failed to return home on June 29.

Anderson said the cause of Purdy's death has not been determined.

Purdy's badly decomposed body was discovered Saturday around 11 a.m. by two hunters who were following game. The men called their find in to dispatchers, then hiked down a trail to meet responding deputies.

Anderson said a member of Purdy's family contacted the sheriff's office Sunday with information that allowed authorities to make a tentative identification. A subsequent comparison of dental records allowed a medical examiner to confirm the identity of the body.

"We do not yet know the cause of death," Anderson said. "The analysis of the body and tissues is still ongoing, and we hope to make that determination. Though we have not ruled out foul play, we have not found any evidence that Mr. Purdy was the victim of any crime."