A man was found dead in his vehicle while camping at Snowslide Campground in La Plata Canyon on Tuesday.
The man’s identity was unknown as of Thursday because investigators were unable to locate identification when the man was discovered. The man was located in an older Chevrolet Suburban about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The vehicle had Texas license plates, but investigators are reluctant to identify the man based on the license plate information, because the vehicle may be registered to a different person than the individual found inside.
“We’re autopsying him right now and doing fingerprints for law enforcement to see if the name on the license plate matches fingerprints,” La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith said Thursday.
The man checked into spot No. 11 at the campground a few days before being found, Smith said. A campsite staff member checked in on the camper after not seeing him for a few days. That is when the man was discovered dead in the back of the vehicle.
Smith said the man had been dead for a day or two based on the condition of his body.
As of 10:30 a.m. Thursday, investigators were unsure of the cause and manner of death. Smith said the man was not carrying any type of drug or medication and that nothing looked like foul play.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
