Missing Colorado Springs boy found dead in Phantom Canyon, Fremont County Sheriff investigating death
FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the recent death of Samuel Nugent, a Colorado Springs boy who’s been missing since May 10.
Nugent’s body was found in the area of Phantom Canyon on June 2. According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, Nugent was last seen leaving his house on a mountain bike on May 10.
“We are grieving through a tragedy no parent should experience — the death of a child,” the Nugent family said in a statement. “We are thankful for the generous help and support of the Colorado Springs community and first responders in the past few weeks, as we desperately searched for our son. We trust the authorities with the investigation into the cause of his death.”
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said it is awaiting the autopsy and toxicology reports to determine what happened to Nugent.
“We are waiting on the official toxicology results so that way we can determine the manner and cause of death,” said Derek Irvine, the Fremont County Undersheriff.
Irvine said a toxicology report can take 60 to 90 days.
According to Nugent’s online obituary, he is described as kind, loyal, and gentle. It also mentions the 16-year-old struggled with “mental health challenges and substance use.”
“Sam was a bright young man who was deeply loved by his family, but experienced many troubles in the past couple of years,” his family said in a statement. “We appreciate the community’s respect for our family’s privacy as we depend on our faith in God to carry us through this tragic loss.”
Nugent’s online obituary said he was born in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and adopted a year later by the Nugent family. He spent his early years in Gainesville, Florida, before moving to Colorado Springs the summer before third grade.
Nugent loved football, whether it was playing Madden or cheering on the Chicago Bears. He had just completed his freshman year at Air Academy High School.
“We put our hope in one day seeing Sam again for all of eternity—in fullness and joy, free from his struggles in this life,” the obituary said.
