Kkco News Reports Hiker Has Come Forward

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

The hiker who found Paige's remains has stepped forward - anonymously - and tells a http://www.nbc11news.com/nationalnews/headlines/Hiker_who_found_Birgfelds_remains_speaks_out_for_first_time_142152033.html.

Hiker who found Birgfeld's remains speaks out for first time

Imagine going for a hike on a new trail and stumbling on human remains, bringing new life to one of the biggest missing person's cases in the country. That happened in Delta County this week. One of the hikers who found Paige Birgfeld's remains spoke out for the first time, and she's only speaking with KKCO 11 News.

Besides the man who was with her, this hiker has only told her parents what she found that day. She asked that we keep her name concealed because she doesn't want this story to be about her, but instead about Paige. In our exclusive interview, she tells us what happened on that memorable hike.

Every now and then, she finds the urge to get outside.

"We saw the pull off and we decided to get out and see what was around that area," the hiker said.

But since she had never been to the Wells Gulch area before, she and her fellow hiker decided to explore.

"We were talking about maybe going down and around the corner and we had stopped and looked around," she said.

Where they had stopped, however, on top of a rock, changed everything.

"Are you allowed to tell me any more details about what you saw?" I asked.

"I don't want to, no," she replied.

Below them, right beside the rock were the remains of Paige Birgfeld. The remains were so apparently human, she didn't have to look closer.

"We need to go, we need to get out of here," she said about their immediate reaction.

The hiker says she and her partner drove straight to the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, because she lives in Mesa County. The remains were in Delta County, however, so those on staff told her she needed to report the findings to Delta County Sheriff.

"I called [the Delta County Sheriff] from my cell phone out in front of the Mesa County Sheriff's Department. I told them what I had found and told them I would meet them down there and show them exactly where it's at," she said.

Last year, the hiker remembered hearing reports that maybe Paige was found.

"I didn't know [Paige] was still missing, so that didn't even cross my mind as to it would be her," she said.

So she was shocked to hear her findings were the missing mom from five years ago. The chances that a hiker in the area would find her, well, it gave her mixed emotions.

"It really sucks that it took this long to find her. And by chance we find her, it's really shocking," the hiker said.

She has no theory how Paige's body ended up in that spot, but hopes it now brings the mystery one step closer to being solved for Paige's family.

"I don't want to say [her family] can get closure because [father Frank Birgfeld] made it very clear that he doesn't have closure, but maybe some questions could be answered now."

And as for her, hiking is no longer in her future plans.

"It's going to take awhile. I don't know if I ever want to go back out there and do anything like that ever again," she said.

She did say she didn't want to be in the spotlight because even though she found Paige, the story was more about the missing mother and bringing her home to her family.

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office said today they will likely keep quiet on what remains were found next to Paige. Those things can be used as evidence for the prosecution if and when this case goes to trial.

 

[Sheila]

I'm assuming she's fairly young, but it sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders for not wanting her identity revealed and not wanting the media's focus to be diverted to her. Of course, they'll probably still find out who she is. She said she called Delta Co SO from her cell while standing in front of the Mesa Co SO, so that probably rules out her hitting 911 ~ more than likely she dialed their non-emergency number. That means the media will more than likely obtain her name through the Open Records Act when they get copies of the call, call sheet & police report. 911 laws prohibit the identity of a caller under open records, so any identifying info has to be removed before releasing copies of the 911 call, the call sheet or the official reports by the law enforcement agency. But non-emergency lines usually don't have that same option for anonymity.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

If you read any of the comments, you can guess that other reporters are a little incensed that she's talking to one television station and no one else. You're right, they'll find her sooner or later, but she is really just a sidebar to the overall story, just as we are. She (and us, I assume) will soon be forgotten.

 

[Sheila]

Oh, I'm sure you'll always be a legend here ...

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I'm already a legend in my own mind.