Colorado officials need help identifying dead man found in the Summit County mountains

A man in his 40s or 50s was recently found dead in Colorado's high country and now officials in Summit County are asking the public for help identifying the man.

The man's body was found on Oct. 4 in Officer's Gulch West Climbing Area, west of Interstate 70 and north of Copper Mountain. The Summit County Sheriff's Office says the man appears to be Central or South American, approximately 5'2" and was 120 to 130 pounds at the time his body was discovered.

He also had two silver or metallic-colored upper teeth. The man had black, graying hair and a receding hairline. While officials can't be certain how long before his discovery he had died, but they estimate two weeks to two months.

The sheriff's office is distributing a composite sketch of the man in the hopes that someone recognizes him and can help officials identify him.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 4,000 unidentified bodies are recovered by investigators and rescuers each year nationwide, a quarter of which remain unidentified after a year. Often times, it can take several years for a body to be identified.

Anyone who recognizes the man or knows anything about the circumstances surrounding his death is asked to contact Summit County Detective Matt Sanders at 970-423-8919 or sheriff's office dispatch at 970-668-8600.