SAGUACHE COUNTY — A little more than two years after she was reported missing and hundreds of hours were spent by law enforcement officials in a subsequent search, the remains of Edna Quintana, 55, were located earlier this week in a remote area of Saguache County.

As described on the Saguache County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, on June 17, 2025, a hiker discovered what appeared to be human remains and immediately contacted the Saguache County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies promptly responded to the location and secured the scene pending further investigation.

The next day, Saguache County deputies returned to the scene alongside agents and crime scene analysts from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and two cadaver dog teams from Colorado Forensic Canines. A coordinated search was conducted, and the remains were carefully recovered and transported to the El Paso County Coroner’s Office for examination.

On Wednesday, June 25, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office confirmed the identity of the remains as Edna Quintana, who had previously been reported missing around May 3, 2023, while rock hunting on County Road 46AA in Saguache, Colorado.

“She was always in the back of our minds,” Saguache County Sheriff Dan Warwick told the Valley Courier. “We conducted an extensive search for her after she went missing, and  every time we got any new information, we jumped right on it. We’re very grateful this hiker happened upon her remains.”

Saguache County deputies have since made contact with Ms. Quintana’s family to inform them of the identification and to offer their support. The Sheriff's Office expresses its deepest condolences to the Quintana family during this difficult time.

At this stage, the manner and cause of death remain under investigation with autopsy results and forensic testing still pending. The Saguache County Sheriff’s Office is working closely with CBI to determine the circumstances surrounding Ms. Quintana’s death.

“In the course of searching for Ms. Quintana,” Warwick told the Valley Courier, “the remains of two other people were found, including those of Suzanne Morphew and a man from Denver.  These three incidents are distinctly unrelated to each other and any claim otherwise is false.”

The Saguache County Sheriff’s Office urges anyone who may have information regarding Edna Quintana’s disappearance or death to contact their office at 719-655-2525.