A ‘glimmer of closure’: Possible belongings of woman missing for nearly 19 years found

EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The Vail Mountain Rescue Group discovered items believed to have belonged to a hiker that went missing on a hike nearly 19 years ago, the Eagle County Sheriff's Office (ECSO) announced Saturday.

Michelle Vanek was 35 when she disappeared while hiking up Mount of the Holy Cross in Eagle County on Sept. 24, 2005. As the Denver resident approached the summit, she told her friend she was tired and headed back down the trail alone. She was never seen again.

Vanek's disappearance sparked a large-scale search effort, with the first search spanning eight days and rallying a team of 800 volunteers. There have been numerous formal and informal searches over the past 19 years since, with a breakthrough in 2023 after a boot confirmed to be Vanek's was found south of Vail.

Now, newly found items that closely resemble those last known to have been with Vanek have been located, a finding that ECSO calls a "glimmer of closure."

"Finding these personal items is an emotional moment for all of us. For 19 years, Michelle’s family, friends, and this community have held on to hope," the Eagle County Sheriff's Office wrote in a statement on Facebook. "This isn’t just the discovery of remains—this is a potential step toward healing and closure for a family that has waited almost 19 years."

The exact location that the items were found is not being publicly released due to the sensitive nature of the case, ECSO said.

The sheriff's office is now awaiting forensic confirmation that the items belonged to Vanek.