Body found in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A body was found in New Mexico not far from where a Colorado pastor parked his vehicle before heading out to search for a supposed hidden cache of gold and jewels that has inspired thousands to hunt in vain across remote corners of the Western U.S., authorities said Monday.

Medical investigators have yet to identify the body, but all the evidence so far indicates it is that of missing pastor Paris Wallace of Grand Junction, State Police Lt. Elizabeth Armijo said.

The case has reignited calls by some to end a treasure hunt that has had deadly outcomes and forces public resources to be spent on search and rescue efforts.

Last year, a Colorado man died in the New Mexico backcountry while searching for the bounty that an antiquities dealer said he stashed somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. It has led treasure hunters to comb secluded areas of New Mexico, Yellowstone National Park and elsewhere.

Crews began looking for Wallace last week after his family reported him missing. Family members told authorities that Wallace had come to New Mexico to search for the treasure of Forrest Fenn, who announced several years ago that he hid a small bronze chest containing nearly $2 million in gold, jewelry and artifacts in the Rockies.

Fenn has dropped clues to the chest’s whereabouts in a cryptic poem in his memoir, The Thrill of the Chase.

Treasure hunters have shared their experiences on blogs and have brainstormed about the clues.

Wallace’s vehicle was found Thursday near the Rio Grande after authorities traced the location where he last used his cellphone.