Gibbs was 33 years old when he was last seen and reported missing in September 1998. Gibbs was identified through his dental records by the Washington State Patrol Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit and the King County Medical Examiners Office. Final confirmation of his identity was made Friday. Cause and exact timing of death have not been determined and remain under investigation. Fragments of Gibbs skull were found and retrieved by a hiker in the Hurricane Ridge area on June 18.
Rangers believe that the remaining bones are still buried under snow.
We are grateful to both the Washington State Patrol and the King County Medical Examiners for their expertise in resolving this case, said Superintendent David Morris. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in the position of needing their assistance once again, he noted, referring to the recent discovery of an unidentified body near the Sol Duc valley. Late Friday, park rangers recovered skeletal remains from an off-trail area near Aurora Ridge, just north of the North Fork Sol Duc River. The remains were found by a park research team. A daypack was also found nearby, but did not contain identification.