The Fremont County Coroner announced Monday that a barrel removed from Wyoming's deepest lake over the weekend does not contain human remains.
It was believed the barrel might have contained the remains of 33-year-old Virginia Uden.
Virginia and her sons — Richard, 11, and Reagan, 10 — of Riverton were killed in September 1980 by her ex-husband Gerald Uden, who confessed to the murders in 2013.
The 35-gallon barrel removed Saturday contained only a small amount of lake sediment but was otherwise empty, said Erin Ivie, Fremont County Coroner.
“After careful forensic inspection, no human remains were found contained within the barrel,” Ivie stated in a Monday release.
Ivie went on to thank all the individuals, agencies and organizations who put in the effort to recover the barrel, including Dave “Heavy D” Sparks, YouTuber, and star of the “Diesel Brothers.”
“The recovery effort has involved an extraordinary level of cooperation and dedication from volunteers, search and rescue teams, Fremont County and Sublette County personnel, and countless others who have contributed in ways both large and small,” Ivie said. “Their professionalism, perseverance, and willingness to assist have been invaluable throughout this effort. This is a true testament to the strength of our communities.”
Boys Put In 35-Gallon Can
Gerald Uden told authorities he initially concealed the bodies in a nearby mine before discarding them in receptacles in the lake. He said he put Virginia in a sealed 55-gallon steel drum, into which he had either shot or drilled holes to help it sink. He said the boys were put together in a 35-gallon steel garbage can and sunk alongside it.
Authorities have long been suspicious that Uden was telling the truth given his shifting stories. Initially, he said he’d sunk the bodies in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon.
However, he continues to claim the bodies are in fact in Fremont Lake and recently provided additional and more specific details in letters to Stacy Koester, president of WyoFind, about where they could be found. He even marked areas on a map.
The new information was shared with Bill Dohse, co-founder and president of the nonprofit Organized Search and Rescue (O-SAR), who put together massive resources to conduct the search and barrel recovery.
A tired Dohse had just received Monday's news as he drove home to Cody. He was disappointed, he said, but that doesn’t mitigate the work that was done this weekend or that they were able to set out what they had intended: recovering the barrel against monumental odds.
“It’s just incredible that we brought all of those people and all those the equipment, the right people, the right equipment, the right place, and the mission went just as planned,” Dohse said. “I mean, just every aspect of it was fantastic, and I don't know that it could have been done any better.”
Not Giving Up
Nor are they giving up: There’s still a trash can to be brought up that may contain the Uden boys if Gerald is to be believed.
“I’m optimistic in the trash can,” he said, “and we’re planning to return. Everything still fits.”
This includes continuing to look for a barrel.
Koester also expressed disappointment in the news but, like Dohse, said she has no plans of giving up and still believes Uden is being truthful.
“While this barrel didn’t turn out to be what we hoped for, it does not take away from the work that was done: the dedication, collaboration and commitment from all of the amazing humans who took part in this recovery,” Koester said. “We now know it can be done, retrieving barrels from that depth, and we will continue to work to bring Virginia, Richard, and Reagan to a proper burial.
"The good Lord showed us the power and possibilities of what can be done this last weekend. So this will not be the end of bringing this family to a proper resting place. He did not start this mission to just give up at the first setback. They are still down there and the goal will stay firm to bring them home."
Jen Kocher can be reached at jen@cowboystatedaily.com.
