A skeleton found by a rancher in the area of Roden Crater northeast of Flagstaff has been identified as a man who went missing in September 2011.
The remains, which were found over the weekend, have been identified as 40-year-old Justin Brian Hall, according to Coconino County Sheriff’s Office officials.
Hall was house-sitting a friend’s home off Leupp Road when he went missing. His family described him as an avid outdoorsman and said he loved hiking and rock climbing.
He had been doing general handyman type work around his friend’s property, caring for her chickens and installing solar panels.
When the friend returned home, she found her doors locked, Hall’s car in the driveway and all of his belongings still inside, including his wallet, keys, cell phone and laptop.
Mysteriously, her chickens had all been killed and buried in the yard and their feeders had been put away. The house was also cleaned and looked like no one had been there.
A Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue operation turned up no evidence of him.
On Saturday afternoon, a rancher was herding cattle on horseback in the area when he spotted the bones, officials said. Investigators returned the next day and recovered the remains, which had been partially disturbed by animal activity.
He was positively identified by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office this week, but an investigation is still ongoing into the cause of death.
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