Body Found In Heating Vent Of French Elementary

According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, a body found atop French Elementary School has a possible tie to a recent missing person’s case.

EPSO says there is a strong possibility that the body belongs to a 17-year-old boy who was reported missing in early November.

Earlier this month, they had received some reports that the young man had ben spotted walking around the roof of French Elementary in Widefield School District 3.

There was a cursory check of the area on Monday and Tuesday, but officials did not feel comfortable going up to the top because of recent snow and ice.

Lt. Sevene of EPSO tells NewsChannel 13 that a CSPD officer, who is a friend of the boy’s family, presented information from friends of the teen that indicated he was still on the roof.

EPSO then received permission to check the scene. After seeing a ventilation cover that looked out of place, they found the body of a young man around 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Lt. Sevene says the investigation is being treated as a suspicious death, although that is thought to be a precaution, since she also pointed out that there is no current threat to the community at large.

KRDO does know the identity of the teen in question, but we are withholding that information for now, since his family has still not received final word.

Authorities are being cautious because the body was too badly decomposed to make an immediate identification.

We have a crew on scene, working to get more information.

Stay tuned to KRDO.com and NewsChannel 13 for updates.