Posted by
norrivei on Tuesday, November 04, 2008 8:49:26 AM
Authorities said Monday they have positively identified some
of Steve Fossett's remains: two large bones found a half-mile from
where the adventurer's plane crashed in California's Sierra
Nevada.
Madera
County Sheriff John Anderson said DNA tests conducted by the state
Department of Justice positively identified the bones as the remains of
the millionaire aviator who disappeared last
year.
Anderson has declined to say what bones were
found, saying he didn't want to cause the family further
anguish.
Fossett's widow, Peggy Fossett, released a
statement thanking authorities for their work.
"I am
hopeful that the DNA identification puts a definitive end to all of the
speculation surrounding Steve's death. This has been an incredibly
difficult time for me, and I am thankful to everyone who helped bring
closure to this tragedy," she said.
The bones were
discovered last week, along with Fossett's tennis shoes and Illinois
driver's license, which had animal bite marks on
them.
Fossett disappeared in September 2007 after
taking off from a Nevada ranch owned by hotel magnate Barron Hilton for
what was supposed to be a short pleasure flight. Law enforcement,
fellow aviators and others launched a costly search that covered 20,000
square miles but turned up empty.
The wreckage of
Fossett's plane was discovered last month after a hiker walking off
trail in the Sierra Nevada near Mammoth Lakes stumbled across Fossett's
pilot's license and a wad of weathered $100 bills. Authorities said
Fossett likely died on impact.
The National
Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the
crash.