Police investigating human remains found in Grand County

MOAB — The Grand County Sheriff's Office is investigating the origins of human remains discovered near I-70 by a passing motorist.

The motorist found a human bone on April 16 when he stopped to walk his dog near the interstate, according to a news release issued by the sheriff's office Friday. He picked up the bone and continued to his destination of Montrose, Colo., where he turned the bone over to authorities.

Investigators from Grand County heard of the discovery and traveled to Colorado the next day to collect the bone before returning to the area where it was found.

"A search of the area by the Grand County Sheriff's Office and a team of dogs and their handlers found more human skeletal remains and clothing," the release states.

The items were collected and sent to the state medical examiner's office for further processing.

Grand County Sheriff Steven White said he is all but certain that the remains are not those of Lance Leeroy Arellano, 40, who was the subject of an extensive manhunt after the shooting of park ranger Brody Young. Arellano was never found.

"It's a totally different area," White said. "And the remains appear to be older than the search is."

Arellano was charged with attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, in connection with the Nov. 20 shooting of Young. The ranger was shot nine times, but survived and continues to recover.

White said he didn't know who the remains could belong to, but that he is in contact with other agencies in the area to see if they know of any missing persons. In the meantime, investigators are waiting for a report from the medical examiner's office.

— Emiley Morgan