NEWS RELEASE FROM MADERA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT:

Sheriff John Anderson announced today during a press conference that bones found yesterday (October 29) -- a little over half a mile east of the Steve Fossett crash site -- are believed to be human.

There were no remains found when searches combed through the crash site on October 2. They did extract what initially appeared to be a single bone fragment that day. And on the following day (October 3) search crews found three more tiny specimens after the wreckage of the plane had been removed.

On October 17 the Madera County Sheriff’s Department returned to the site finding more possible evidence.

Pieces discovered that day along with the first 4 fragments found earlier in the month were analyzed by an anthropologist. He was able to rule out all but two.

Unable to determine whether or not those two bones were human, Sheriff John Anderson had those delivered to a State Forensics Lab to test them for human DNA profiling. The results were inconclusive.

To make certain a thorough search was conducted before the winter season set in, three Madera County Sheriff’s Deputies (Lt. Darin McMechan, Detective Jack Williamson and Deputy Bennie Romiti), along with 5 volunteers from Mono County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue Team returned to the site one last time – the date: October 29.

Before the day was over the recovery team found a number of items which include: skeletal remains (bones), a pair of tennis shoes, credit cards and Steve Fossett’s Illinois State Driver’s License.

The bones were examined and although not conclusive, they are believed to human. A DNA test is now pending.

BACKGROUND ON THE BONE ANALYSIS

Officials with a California State Forensics lab tested the first bone fragments recovered October 2 and October 17. Not a single fragment was larger than the size of a thumbnail. “Their findings were deemed inconclusive because Lab technicians could not determine whether or not those bone fragments are human.”

BACKGROUND ON SEARCH & RECOVERY MISSION

On September 3, 2007 Steve Fossett was reported missing.

Thirteen months after his disappearance, (October 1, 2008) the Madera County Sheriff’s Department received word that items (believed to belong to Steve Fossett) were found in Madera County and handed over to authorities in Mono County.

The items (two aviation identification cards along with US currency) were found near Minaret Summit – located in the vicinity of the Ansel Adams Wilderness in the far Eastern mountains of Eastern Madera County.

By morning of October 2 Sheriff Anderson was able to confirm that what appeared to be pieces of a plane spotted the night before were in fact wreckage from Steve Fossett’s aircraft. The location of the crash – roughly ¼ mile away from where his personal effects had been discovered.

IF THEY WERE FOUND IN MADERA COUNTY WHY LAUNCH SEARCH IN MONO COUNTY?

The crash occurred in Madera County – just 7 miles west of the Mono/Madera County border. Even though personal effects and plane wreckage were found in Madera County, the location of the crash was closer in proximity to Mammoth Lakes – that’s in Mono County. The region where the discovery was made is too remote to reach in a timely fashion from the Madera County side of the mountain. “The fastest and most efficient way to handle the recovery operation was to deploy search teams from Mammoth Lakes Airport which is only 6 to 7 miles away.”

INFORMATION PRECEEDING DISCOVERY IN MADERA COUNTY:

Eight months ago (February 2008), a petition was submitted to an Illinois court requesting that Steve Fossett be declared deceased. Sheriff Anderson was asked to consider signing a death certificate but without remains, he could not state unequivocally that Steve Fossett perished.

Since the initial call out on October 1, 2008 Search teams under the Direction of the Madera County Sheriff’s Department has twice returned to the crash site – second time on Friday October 17 and a third time on Wednesday October 29.

Up until October 29 Sheriff Anderson says, “We could not categorically state that Steve Fossett perished in that crash because the only conclusive evidence our Department had were those two aviation identification cards, and a 1000 dollars in cash.”

But in light of these recent developments that has changed. “Pending DNA results,” says Sheriff Anderson, “I believe our Coroner’s investigation is over and the Fossett family will finally have closure.”