Missing teen found trapped inside chimney after 7-year search

Joshua Maddux, an 18-year-old from Woodland Park, Colorado, went for a walk on May 8, 2008, and never returned. Known for his adventurous spirit and love of the outdoors, Joshua had endured personal tragedies, including his parents’ divorce and the suicide of his older brother, Zachary, yet he remained optimistic and creative.

Joshua often explored nearby Pike National Forest alone. On the day of his disappearance, he told his sister, Kate, he was heading out, but he never came home. After five days of searching, his father, Mike Maddux, filed a missing person report, but months turned into years with no clues.

Joshua’s family held onto hope. Kate imagined he might be traveling or writing under a pseudonym, while friends noted he seemed happy and full of life despite past hardships.

Seven years later, in August 2015, construction workers demolishing an old cabin on Meadowlark Lane discovered a mummified body inside a chimney, later confirmed to be Joshua. Oddly, he wore only a thin thermal shirt, while his other clothes were neatly folded inside the cabin, and a breakfast bar had been used to block the chimney from within.

Teller County Coroner Al Born found no signs of trauma or drugs and initially ruled the death accidental, theorizing Joshua climbed down the chimney and succumbed to hypothermia. The cabin’s owner, Chuck Murphy, disputed this, citing steel mesh installed to block animals, making such entry nearly impossible.

Due to inconsistencies, Born reopened the case, suggesting the body’s position implied two people might have been involved. Police received unverified tips linking a violent suspect to Joshua, but nothing was confirmed.

For Joshua’s family, the discovery brought closure but no answers. The circumstances remain a baffling mystery, leaving the tragic death of a bright young man unresolved.