The Big Horn County Coroner’s Office has reopened a 53-year-old cold case and is asking the public for help identifying an unidentified man whose body was discovered in the Greybull River in July 1973.
According to the coroner’s office, the investigation was recently initiated after officials found very little documentation related to the case. No law enforcement report could be located, and the only record discovered was the original coroner’s verdict.
The unidentified man was found on July 10, 1973, floating in the Greybull River approximately eight miles west of Basin and about 50 feet north of the Greybull River bridge on U.S. Highway 30. Coroners and sheriff’s deputies responded and recovered the body.
The decedent was estimated to be between 18 and 26 years old, approximately 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall, with an estimated weight of 150 to 160 pounds, though officials noted decomposition may have affected that estimate. He was described as having brown hair, brown eyes and a red mustache.
He was reportedly wearing blue and white striped cut-off pants and possibly a polo shirt. Investigators believe he had been in the river for several days.
Several personal items were found on the riverbank, including a 14-karat gold ring featuring a bird’s head, the initials “MK” and a diamond, a pair of leather moccasins with rubber soles, prescription Ray-Ban sunglasses and a pack of Marlboro cigarettes containing 17 unopened cigarettes.
According to the coroner’s office, a witness reported seeing several young men swimming in the area a few days before the body was discovered. Investigators found no vehicle, wallet, identification or other personal belongings connected to the decedent.
Officials said the circumstances surrounding the death were suspicious and have not ruled out the possibility of homicide.
The unidentified man is buried at the Basin Cemetery as a John Doe, and the case has been entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). The Big Horn County Coroner’s Office said its goal is to identify the decedent and determine whether further investigation is warranted.
Anyone with information related to the case is encouraged to contact the Big Horn County Coroner’s Office.