July 26, 2024 |
Photo – Mirror Lake – Bigfoot99 file photo
The body of a man found dead at Mirror Lake on the 4th of July has turned into a homicide investigation.
The case began around 8 p.m. on Independence Day when the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the presence of a deceased individual at a campsite near Mirror Lake in the Snowy Range. Because no identification was found on the body, the investigation became a “John Doe” case.
Following an autopsy, the deceased has been identified as James Bitner, age 56 of Blackhawk, Colorado.
Law enforcement describes the manner of death simply as “homicide.”
A collaborative investigation is being conducted by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Colorado 1st Judicial District Attorney Investigator’s Office.
Persons with information regarding the case or the victim, James Bitner, are urged to contact 307-721-2526.
