Remains found at the base of Mount Elden in Flagstaff identified as a man reported missing in 2017

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Human remains found at the base of Mount Elden in Flagstaff nearly five years ago have been identified as those of a Phoenix man who went missing in 2017, authorities said Wednesday.

Coconino County sheriff's officials said a DNA profile showed the skeletal remains were those of Mark Austin Dunne, who had apparently been camping in Flagstaff for an unknown amount of time.

Dunne's cause of death could not be determined, according to the county medical examiner's office.

A hiker found the remains in November 2019 in a heavily forested area at the base of Mount Elden, at 9,300 feet (2,800 meters), and notified authorities.

Dunne was reported missing to Phoenix police in March 2017 after not contacting his family for an extended period of time.

Sheriff's officials said their office entered into a contract with a Utah company in August 2023 to attempt to identify the remains through a genetic genealogy process.

The company was able to identify a family lineage, and additional testing linked the remains to Dunne.