Human remains found on public land west of Cody in August have been identified as those of a Sheridan man missing for nearly eight years, the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday.
Kyle Ellis, then 29, was reported missing by family in January 2018 after he left home in early January. He had caught a ride from a resort in the Big Horn Mountains, outside Sheridan and was last spotted at a gas station in neighboring Greybull.
Over the years, there have been no tips or leads on his whereabouts until now, his mother Heather Vanderhoef said.
He was found in a wilderness area in Park County, about 60 miles from where he was dropped off, so presumably he hitched another ride from Greybull, Vanderhoef said.
No foul play is suspected, she added, and it’s believed he died of exposure on a frigid January night with temperatures hovering between zero and 20 degrees.
It's a blessing for the family that he likely died of hypothermia and not foul play, she said, on top of finally being located.
“We are forever grateful that Kyle was found and knowing that he's been in God's hands for almost eight years,” she said. “That's where he wanted to be, so that's comforting knowing he was safe. It could have been so much worse.”
Religious Journeys
Ellis was very religious and would periodically venture off on religious journeys for up to two weeks at a time, traveling as far south as Texas and to the West Coast.
During these trips, he would always keep in touch with his family over Facebook Messenger, so when he failed to contact them days after vanishing, his family knew something was wrong.
“He would go off on these little adventures,” she said, “but he always stayed in touch with us.”
And though in her heart she knew he was likely deceased, Vanderhoef said she never gave up hope that he might still be alive and come home one day.
“Kyle was such a kind person and wouldn’t have been gone that long without reaching out,” she said, “but you don’t give up hope. I never gave up hope. We all had hope.”
Vanderhoef and her ex-husband, Jay Ellis, were notified that remains were found on Aug. 14 that likely were their son, based on his distinctive beanie found at the site along with other items.
Still, investigators wanted to positively identify him through new DNA samples from her and Jay, which took nine weeks to process. They found out Thursday it was a positive match and notified his sister and the rest of the family.
Remembering Stories
Since word of Ellis’ death broke today in a release from the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, Vanderhoef said many of his friends and former classmates have reached out with personal stories about Ellis and the many ways he touched their lives.
The stories help, including from the former classmate with whom he always checked in with after her basketball game given their shared love of sports among many others.
“Just lots of really, really nice stories from elementary, middle school and high school,” Vanderhoef said, the emotion thick in her voice.
Next week, Vanderhoef, her husband and Jay plan to take a trip to Park County to visit the spot in which their son was found with the help of Park County Sheriff Darrell Steward, who Vanderhoef said has been “so kind and compassionate.”
For now, they plan to bring his remains home to be cremated and will spread his ashes in one of Ellis’ favorite spots next summer with family.
She described Ellis as a kind, compassionate, funny and smart guy who loved sports and was a great athlete and said his loss has hit all of them very hard.
“There are no words,” she said.
She asked for people to respect their privacy as the family grieves their loss but encourages people who knew her son to continue sharing their stories.
“If you have a wonderful story about Kyle, we’d love to hear it,” she said.
She further thanked law enforcement and the public for all their help over the years investigating and sharing news of his disappearance and missing person posters.
Several agencies were working on the case including the Park County Sheriff’s Office and coroner, the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the state crime lab.
“We hope this brings closure to Kyle’s parents, his family, friends and our community,” Sheridan County Sheriff Levi Dominguez said in the release. “Kyle’s family has been nothing but supportive and patient throughout these years and our thoughts and prayers are with them through this time.”
Jen Kocher can be reached at jen@cowboystatedaily.com.
