Press Release:  

Kane County Sheriff’s Office

Who: Chief Deputy Alan Alldredge

Date: 12/19/16

Time:  1330 hours

Human Remains found near Lake Powell

At approximately 10:30 am on December 18, 2016, Kane County Utah Sheriff’s Dispatch received a call from an individual who had located what appeared to be human skeletal remains while hiking in an area south West of Hwy 89, less than a mile north of the Utah state line.  Kane County deputies, detectives, and medical investigator responded to the location. 

The investigation team located numerous bones, and several items of clothing scattered for about 150 yards believed to have belonged to the deceased individual.  A driver’s license and credit card belonging to Michael Theo Schimmel from Page, Arizona was found near the clothing.  It is possible the remains have been in the area for 2 years or more.  The skeletal remains and clothing were collected and transported to the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office in Salt Lake City, Utah for identification and to attempt to determine the cause of death.

Investigators are continuing to collect evidence and following up on leads in Page, Arizona and surrounding area.  Dental records have been sent to the medical Examiner to aid in their attempts to verify if the remains belong to Mr. Schimmel.  Anyone who may have known Mr. Schimmel and or may have information that could help in the ongoing investigation are encouraged to contact the Kane County Utah Sheriff’s Office at 435-644-4916, or 435-644-2349.