Found Deceased WA - Gavin Johnston, 28, hiker, Pacific Coast Trail, Skykomish, 18 Oct 2018

That article included this statement:



Does anyone know of any other missing people from that area of Washington?
The Washington State Patrol currently has SIXTY ONE missing adults in Washington. That doesn't include the many homeless in the area (my family lives in Washington, the number of homeless in the state is some of the highest in the country). Missing Persons - WSP
 
That article included this statement:



Does anyone know of any other missing people from that area of Washington?

There are hundreds listed on Charley Project :( for all of Washington state. I wonder if there’s a site on which you can search within King County.

Has any additional info on the skull fragment been released? Sex, age, ethnicity, etc.?


ETA: Kris Fowler (aka Sherpa), a missing PCT hiker?
 
There are hundreds listed on Charley Project :( for all of Washington state. I wonder if there’s a site on which you can search within King County.

Has any additional info on the skull fragment been released? Sex, age, ethnicity, etc.?


ETA: Kris Fowler (aka Sherpa), a missing PCT hiker?

It would be great if Kris Fowler's family could finally get closure. That is such a sad story as he seemed to be truly beloved. I still see missing signs for him all the time when hiking.

That said, it seems less likely that this is a missing PCT hiker based on the location, which was a few dozen miles west of any point on the PCT.
 
Trying to Track His Gear could lead to possible clues if it’s not too late.
Checking local Craigslist ads for Hiking Gear For Sale that matches Gavin’s new purchased gear also posting photos of his Gear in Trail Forums Lost & Found Threads might turn up clues to his last location.

I grew up in that neck of the woods and have hiked parts of the trail. I just saw on facebook what supplies he purchased before the trek. The tent was lightweight and he only bought an emergency sleeping bag which is good for maybe 24-48 hours. The jacket he purchased is rated for "mild temperatures" and he had nothing to provide weather protection from snow below the waist. It's down into the teens at night this time of year with wind chill and the snows start late October. He wouldn't have lasted a week out there with that equipment. I do hope they find him for closure for the family.
 
There are hundreds listed on Charley Project :( for all of Washington state. I wonder if there’s a site on which you can search within King County.

Has any additional info on the skull fragment been released? Sex, age, ethnicity, etc.?


ETA: Kris Fowler (aka Sherpa), a missing PCT hiker?
Based on the description I read, I don't think the piece is big enough to get sex unless the supraorbital ridge is included. Thickness can, however, help with gender (male skulls being thicker (something I learned from being married not from training as a forensic anthropologist :) As for age, you'd have to have a big enough piece to study the sutures of the skull. (A suture is a type of fibrous joint that is only found in the skull). The closure of sagittal, coronal, lambdoid, parieto-mastoid, parieto-temporal (squamous) and baso-occiput with baso-sphenoid suture can be compared to textbook data to get an approximate age, but to get a really accurate stab at the age you'd need sagittal suture, next lambdoid suture and then coronal suture which would not be present in the piece of skull found if it's as described. Also since it was found in water, as I stated earlier in the thread, it's highly unlikely he would have been skeletonized so soon given the water and how decomp occurs in cold water in wintertime.
 
Is there a thread for the piece of the skull, “Reiter Pit Doe”? Nothing came up for me in my search, but I could’ve missed it.
I didn't find a thread either but as of six weeks ago, the Snohomish County ME still had not determined the identity of the individual. See comments: Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office

Also, latest media release (pg 5): https://snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6143 from Medical Examiner | Snohomish County, WA - Official Website
 
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Hard to imagine how that would be him. He started at Stevens Pass heading South, allegedly. This was found 30-40 miles (I haven't mapped it) northwest of where he started.

That said, I hope this family or another will end up with closure from this discovery.
Google Maps
There are hundreds listed on Charley Project :( for all of Washington state. I wonder if there’s a site on which you can search within King County.

Has any additional info on the skull fragment been released? Sex, age, ethnicity, etc.?

ETA: Kris Fowler (aka Sherpa), a missing PCT hiker?
Yes, you can search here: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

There are currently 194 missing persons reported for King County prior to Oct 20, 2018, but not all missing persons are included on NamUs.
I don't think I've seen one. I'll start it later and post a link--remind me if it doesn't show up in the next couple of days.
Reminder. :)
 
Appears as of Easter they are still looking for him with updated flyer

56174931_579970872521540_3713787933711400960_n.jpg
 
Unfortunately, with the gear he purchased (emergency sleeping bag good for perhaps 1 or 2 nights, lightweight jacket, and poncho), he wouldn't have survived two nights in the late fall temperatures down in the 20's, let alone a whole winter. I've hiked that area, growing up in Washington. If you don't haul it in there is really no shelter. I do hope they find him to bring him home to his loving family for closure.
 

Gavin is featured in this video. IMO nobody should attempt a solo PCT hike because there truly is "safety in numbers".

Stevens Pass and the surrounding area, for miles and miles, is a vast mountainous wilderness area with wild animals, mountain lakes, rivers and streams, harsh elements and cliffs etc. I know this area very, very well. It is stunningly beautiful but very vast and very rugged wilderness. I am not too far from there and have hiked some areas within and about the surrounding 30 miles. For an inexperienced hiker I can only imagine what challenges, or threats, he met with. I hope his family gets closure someday. Unless Gavin harmed himself or intentionally went missing I would say chances are quite high that he may not be found for years to come, if ever.
 
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Gavin James Johnston
NamUs #MP55604

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Missing Age 28 Years
Current Age 28 Years
Height 5' 9" (69 Inches)
Weight 150 - 165 lbs
Race / Ethnicity White / Caucasian
Hair Color Brown
Head Hair Description Thick hair; may wear short or let it grow 3-4 inches
Facial Hair Description Facial hair is reddish brown; may have a mustache, goatee or full beard
Eye Color Blue
Eye Description May be wearing tinted blue contacts; occasionally wears glasses

Clothing and Accessories
Gavin purchased gear from Cabela’s before he went missing. He would be carrying a 70 pound external-frame backpack with him with the following items:
  • Red & black Midland AM/FM radio
  • Orange Therm-a-Rest EvoLite sleeping pad
  • Blue Cabela Orion 3 season 2 person tent
  • Vaprtrek hunting boots
  • Gore-tex gloves
  • Apex Risor jacket
  • Carhartt dark blue beanie
  • 2 yellow ponchos
  • 2 emergency sleeping bags
  • Hiking poles
  • Camp cooking utensils
Transportation His vehicle was located at the at the Stevens Pass Lodge.
Date of Last Contact October 18, 2018
NamUs Case Created February 21, 2019
Last Known Location Map
Location Skykomish, Washington 98288
County King County

Circumstances of Disappearance Gavin was last seen by family members when he left home in Everett, WA the afternoon of October 17, 2018 to hike on the Pacific Crest Trail at Stevens Pass. The last confirmed siting of Gavin was around 5 p.m. on October 18, 2018 at the Skykomish Ranger Station where he purchased a map. Gavin is not an experienced hiker.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
 

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