Adventure-Crew.com

Text by Alyson Sheppard Not everyone is convinced that the remains of Everett Ruess have conclusively been identified, as ADVENTURE reported in our follow up to "Finding Everett Ruess." Kevin Jones, Utah's state archaeologist, and Derinna Kopp, a physical anthropologist, recently expressed doubts in their essay, "Everett Ruess—A Suggestion to Take Another Look," on the Utah state history Web site. "Based on available data, we think there are several evidentiary reasons to keep the investigation open, and to have the analyses replicated by independent researchers," they wrote. The critics question the validity of Aneth Nez’s story, the Navajo tribal member who said he knew how Ruess died. These doubts are primarily based on the Navajo taboos against touching blood, the historic Navajo rivalry with Utes, and the strength needed to carry a body hundreds of feet to the reported grave. Jones and Kopp also believe the photos of the teeth...