Body found near Pilar may be that of treasure hunter
State police say the body of a man was found in the Rio Grande Gorge near Pilar, some five to seven miles away from where a Colorado adventurer parked his car in an effort to find hidden treasure.
Carl Christiansen, a spokesman for New Mexico State Police, said in an email Sunday that police are waiting for word from the Office of the Medical Investigator before identifying the man. He said that will probably happen Monday.
Authorities from Grand Junction, Colo., said Paris Wallace, the lead pastor of the Connection Church there, had gone missing earlier this week in the Española area while searching for the treasure that author Forrest Fenn, a Santa Fe resident, said he hid somewhere in the Rocky Mountains north of Santa Fe.
One of the clues describes the treasure as being “wet,” which leads some to believe it may be hidden in or near a waterway. Fenn has often said he hid the treasure to give people who have a sense of adventure a purpose and to get young people away from their technological devices and into the mountain air and sun.
But the plan has come with a human price. Last year, for example, Colorado adventurer Randy Bilyeu went missing looking for the treasure. He was later found dead.
Christiansen said the body found Sunday had been removed from the scene as of 6 p.m. He said two rafters had spotted the vehicle.