Wyoming human remains identified as missing Scottish man

Human remains discovered in a remote mountain pass in Wyoming last year have been positively identified as John Gillies, a 69-year-old man from Kirkintilloch, Scotland, who went missing approximately six years ago. Authorities announced the identification this week following a nearly year-long international investigation.

The skeletal remains were first found by Wyoming Game and Fish Department staff near the Sweetwater Gap guard station in Fremont County on September 6, 2025. A secondary search involving a 14-member team from the Sublette County Sheriff's Office, Sublette County Search and Rescue, and the U.S. Forest Service was launched four days later, covering roughly 20 miles of rugged terrain. By late December, investigators had recovered an estimated 85 percent of the skeletal remains, and forensic experts concluded they had been at the site for about six years.

Personal items found at the scene led investigators to Gillies's ex-wife. She provided photographs, medical information, and background details to assist the inquiry, writing in one message, "I wanted you to know he was more than bones." The Sublette County Sheriff's Office said her assistance provided invaluable...