Image courtesy of DepositPhotos
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with Intermountain Forensics and the Coconino County Office of the Medical Examiner has identified remains found at the base of Mt Elden in 2019 as Mark Austin Dunne, a man reported missing from Phoenix in 2017.
Dunne’s skeletal remains were discovered by a hiker on November 2, 2019 in a heavily wooded area at the base of Mt Elden. Initial efforts by investigators to identify the remains were unsuccessful.
In August 2023, CCSO contracted with Intermountain Forensics of Salt Lake City, UT in an attempt to identify the remains through the Forensic Genetic Genealogy process. A DNA profile was developed and compared with existing profiles in available genealogy databases. Investigators at Intermountain Forensics were able to identify a family line, and by February 2024 had identified Mark Dunne as a potential match.
A DNA sample collected from the remains was then compared to that of Dunne’s family members. That testing, completed by the University of North Texas, along with additional investigation by detectives indicated the remains were those of Dunne.
Dunne was reported missing to the Phoenix Police Department in March, 2017 after not contacting his family for an extended time. It is not known when Dunne arrived in the Flagstaff area, but the scene investigation suggests he had been camping in the area for an extended period. Dunne’s cause of death could not be determined and remains unknown.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Intermountain Forensics, the Coconino County Office of the Medical Examiner, Phoenix Police Department and the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for their dedication and efforts into identifying Mark Dunne.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office offers its deepest condolences to Mr. Dunne’s family, who have requested privacy at this time.
