Skeletal remains found in American wilderness identified as a Scot who vanished while camping six years ago

Published: 20:55, 3 July 2026 | Updated: 20:55, 3 July 2026 Skeletal remains found in an American wilderness have been identified as a tragic Scot. John Gillies, 63, vanished while camping near Sweetwater Gap, Wyoming, around six years ago. His skeleton was spotted ten months ago by forest workers who called in police over the grisly discovery. Detectives from the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) then launched a painstaking inquiry to identify the remains.  Investigators located personal effects at the scene, including information that would ultimately lead them to Mr Gillies, who is believed to originally be from Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire. As officials continued to gather information, they contacted Saint Mary’s Church in his home town. John Gillies, 63, vanished while camping in Wyoming around six years ago Church officials assisted in locating Mr Gillies’ surviving family back in Scotland including his ex-wife. Through Interpol and Police Scotland, arrangements then were made to obtain DNA samples from living relatives. The SCSO announced yesterday it had positively identified the human remains. A spokesman said: ‘In September 2025, the SCSO responded to a call of human remains located near Sweetwater Gap. ‘Following a ten-month investigation, the SCSO has identified the remains as John Gillies. ‘The investigation spanned two countries and included the assistance of Interpol, Scottish law enforcement and the Wyoming State Crime Laboratory.  'On June 30, 2026, investigators received confirmation from the Crime Laboratory that the remains were biologically related to both family reference samples collected in Scotland, positively identifying the deceased as John Gillies. ‘Later that same day, investigators contacted Mr Gillies’ family to notify them that their loved one had been identified after nearly a year of investigation. ‘In one message to investigators, Mr Gillies’ ex-wife wrote, “I wanted you to know he was more than bones”. Her compassion and willingness to assist provided invaluable insight during the investigation and served as a powerful reminder that every unidentified person is someone’s loved one.  'At the family’s request, the sheriff’s office is now working with Interpol to return Mr Gillies’ remains to Scotland so he may finally be laid to rest at home.’ Experts at the site where Mr Gillies' remains were discovered In December, an anthropologist estimated that 85 per cent of Mr Gillies’ remains had been recovered, and that they had been there for six years. The cause of death is also unknown. Sublette County Sheriff K.C. Lehr added: ‘This case is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved and the strength of partnerships that extend well beyond our county and even our nation’s borders. ‘What began as the discovery of remains in a remote area of Wyoming ultimately brought together local, state, federal, and international partners with one shared goal – to give a family answers. ‘We are grateful to everyone who played a role in helping bring John home.’ No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.