(Pinedale, Wyo. – July 2nd, 2026) — The Sublette County Sheriff's Office positively identifies the human remains located near Sweetwater Gap in September 2025.
(Pinedale, Wyo. – July 2nd, 2026) — The Sublette County Sheriff's Office positively identifies the human remains located near Sweetwater Gap in September 2025.
In September 2025, the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of human remains located near Sweetwater Gap. Following an investigation of approximately 10 months, we have positively identified the remains as John Gillies, who would have been 69 years old this year. This investigation spanned between two countries and included the assistance of Interpol, Scotland Law Enforcement, and the Wyoming State Crime Laboratory.
On September 6th, 2025, Wyoming Game and Fish personnel discovered scattered human skeletal remains in a remote area near the Sweetwater Gap Guard Station. Deputies and Detectives from the Sublette County Sheriff's Office responded and immediately began what would become a complex investigation to determine the identity of the deceased. Initial investigative findings were released to the public on September 17th, 2025.
Due to the condition and location of the remains, a coordinated secondary search was conducted on September 10th, 2025, involving members of the Sublette County Sheriff's Office, Sublette County Search and Rescue, and the U.S. Forest Service. A 14-member search team searched approximately 20 miles of rugged terrain. On December 28th an anthropologist working with our office estimated 85 percent of the skeletal remains we recovered and had been there approximately six years.
Investigators located personal effects at the scene, including information that ultimately led them to believe the decedent could be John Gillies. On September 16th, 2025, investigators contacted the decedents ex-wife as no other next of kin was available in the United States.
Although she had not yet received confirmation that the remains belonged to Gillies, she shared photographs and details about Gillies including medical history and his lifestory. In one message to investigators, she wrote, "I wanted you to know he was more than bones." Her compassion and willingness to assist provided invaluable insight during the investigation and served as a powerful reminder that every unidentified person is someone's loved one.
As investigators continued developing information, they contacted Saint Mary's Church in Kirkintilloch, Scotland, on September 18th, 2025. Church officials assisted in locating Gillies’ surviving family and helping facilitate an international death notification. Through Interpol, the Scotland Police, and the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement (SCD) International Bureau, arrangements were made to obtain DNA reference samples from Gillies’ living relatives.
The forensic anthropology report was completed, and on February 10th, 2026, the Sublette County Sheriff's Office received the international DNA samples, and the following day investigators transported both the reference DNA and the recovered skeletal remains to the Wyoming State Crime Laboratory in Cheyenne for comparison.
On June 30th, 2026, investigators received confirmation from the Wyoming State Crime Laboratory that the remains were biologically related to both family reference samples collected in Scotland, positively identifying the decedent as John Gillies.
Later that same day, investigators contacted Gillies’ family to notify them that their loved one had been positively identified after nearly a year of investigation.
At the family's request, the Sublette County Sheriff's Office and the Sublette County Coroner's Office are now working with Interpol to coordinate the return of Gillie’s remains to Scotland so he may finally be laid to rest at home.
Sheriff K.C. Lehr stated, "This case is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved and the strength of partnerships that extend well beyond our county and even our nation's borders. What began as the discovery of unidentified remains in a remote area of Wyoming ultimately brought together local, state, federal, and international partners with one shared goal—to give a family answers. We are grateful to everyone who played a role in helping bring John home."
The Sublette County Sheriff's Office extends its sincere appreciation to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Sublette County Search and Rescue, the U.S. Forest Service, the Wyoming State Crime Laboratory, Interpol, Police Scotland, the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement International Bureau, Saint Mary's Church in Kirkintilloch, and especially Gillie’s family for their patience, trust, and assistance throughout this investigation.
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Lieutenant Travis Bingham
Public Information Officer
Sublette County Sheriff's Office
35 1/2 S. Tyler Ave, PO Box 701
Pinedale, WY 82941
tbingham@sublettecountywy.gov