Everett Ruess mystery rekindled after new test results

October 22, 12:35 AMSalt Lake City Outdoor Recreation ExaminerJared Hargrave

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Everett Ruess
Photo by Dorothea Lange

Outdoor enthusiasts and history buffs alike were astonished last spring when the remains of Everett Ruess were found. DNA tests revealed that the skeleton found in a grave on Utah's Comb Ridge belonged to the vagabond writer, which solved a decades-long mystery. But the University of Colorado at Boulder issued a press release on Wednesday, October 21, revealing the test results were incorrect.

The disappearance of Everett Ruess was one of the more well known and talked about mysteries in Utah's history. The 20-year-old solitary writer and painter from California become a legend after he walked into the desert with two burros in November of 1934 and was never seen again.

In 2007, the remains were found near Bluff, Utah and were later sent to CU researchers for DNA testing. The results proved the tests were positive that the bones found belonged to Everett Ruess. This revelation was made public by an attention-grabbing article in National Geographic Adventure Magazine.

The Ruess family initially accepted the results, but were persuaded to seek another opinion. According to the CU-Boulder press release, additional bone fragments were sent to the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory in Rockville, Md. Scientists there found the bones did not match saliva samples taken from Ruess' nieces and nephews, and the remains are likely Native American.

Professor Kenneth Krauter blames the incorrect test results on new technology that wasn't proven to work on old DNA.

What actually happened to Everett Ruess after vanishing into the Utah desert? After these new test results, it seems the mystery continues to live and is now more intriguing than ever.

For more information, read the entire press release from CU-Boulder.

Check out these other articles for more on the remains that were found on Comb Ridge.

Everett Ruess Mystery Solved

DNA tests confirm remains belong to Everett Ruess