Washakie County Sheriff Austin Brookwell posted information on a recent incident on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. Human remains discovered between Worland and Ten Sleep have been identified as a missing person long suspected to be in the area.
On May 16, the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office was notified that two individuals had found a human skull off the Blue Bank Road between Worland and Ten Sleep while tending to cattle in that area. Sheriff Brookwell and a deputy met with the individuals who found the skull and were led to the location.
Once on scene, Sheriff’s Office personnel started to document the area. Several human bones were found articulated in one area a few yards away from the skull.
One of the individuals located a wallet close to the majority of the remains. A driver’s license inside the wallet belonged to Patrick Michael Combs of Idaho.
Courtesy The Charley Project
Combs was 38 years old when he was reported missing in October 2015. The Washakie County Sheriff’s Office has searched for Combs before – his Mazda pickup was spotted well off of the Blue Bank by a pilot flying over the area in May 2017.
Former Washakie County Sheriff Steve Rakness called out resources a few times to search the area for Combs but could never locate him. Subsequent searches with multiple individuals and cadaver dog teams were also unsuccessful.
According to G.P.S. data, the remains were located approximately 2.1 miles from where Combs’ truck was found in 2017.
Sheriff Brookwell called Washakie County Coroner Jeff Lapp to the scene. By the time he arrived, the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office was joined by members of Washakie County Seach and Rescue and a B.L.M. ranger.
The remains were turned over to the custody of Coroner Lapp once he arrived on the scene. Official confirmation of the remains is underway, but Sheriff Brookwell is confident they’ve found Combs.
“At this moment, the only identification we have is the wallet with the driver’s license. Coroner Lapp will be getting more confirmation in the future, but we are certain the remains belong to Patrick Micheal Combs.”
Sheriff Brookwell was grateful for the assistance of the three individuals who found Combs’s remains. Due to the remoteness of the location, these citizens volunteered their time and their U.T.V.s to assist in getting all the personnel to the scene.
The Washakie County Sheriff’s Office has notified the family of Patrick Michael Combs. No foul play is expected to be the reason for his death.
On Facebook, many people were appreciative of the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office and the efforts of all those who responded to the scene. One of those people was “Dani Rae” – Combs’s sister.
