Are the remains found on Webb Hill In St. George, Utah those of Everett Reuss, a young artist who mysteriously vanished?
As many of you know, in 2017 I published a book through
Manitowen Press titled Windy's Last Ride about the remains of a young man found
on Webb Hill in Southern Utah. There were several theories as to whom these
bones and ragged clothes once belonged to and I went with the most likely
possibility to pen my novel. The Utah state coroner speculated that the
remains, nicknamed Lil' Webb or Webby, were those of someone who'd possibly
died of the Spanish Influenza in or around 1918. I weaved my tale with historic
figures from Washington County, Utah and included actual St. George townspeople
living at that time. Most importantly, I encouraged readers to help solve the
mystery of who this long-dead boy might be.
Yesterday I read "Into the Wild" by John Krakauer.
In his book he tells the true story of Chris McCandless who ventures into the
Alaskan Wilderness where he eventually dies from starvation. About half way
through his book, Krakauer recounts several instances of other adventurous men
who risk death in their quest to face nature head on. Some were rock climbers,
extreme hikers, off-grid foragers and even, in many cases, crack-pots.
When Krakauer’s book comes to the mystery of Everett Reuss,
my heart began to thump in my chest. My brain began, it seemed, to search
through files within my grey matter. Reuss, a young man with a lust for rock
climbing, was known to leave civilization for weeks and months at a time. The
young man was an artist of some renown, but he was drawn to desert outcroppings
and solitary sojourns. He'd been known to fall during some climbing adventures,
dust himself off and continue. He was known to sleep on the desert floor and
sometimes in shallow caves. Once, Reuss reached into a crack in a rock and was
attacked by what he called, “wild bees”. This alone could have taken his life
as he had a nasty allergic reaction. In 1934 at the age of twenty, the young
adventurer vanished into the southern Utah wilderness. He was last seen with
some pack mules and supplies. It was speculated that he'd been robbed for his
mules or fell while rock climbing or drowned in a swollen river or settled down
to life with a Navajo wife. (I apologize for the use of "or" so many
times, but I used it to emphasize that there was a lot of speculation surrounding
Reuss' disappearance.)
In 2008, the decades-old remains of a murder victim were
found close to Bluff, Utah. It was assumed these fragments belonged to Everett
Ruess. In 2009, the DNA results proved these bones were not a match to any
known family members. (https://www.npr.org/2009/05/09/103939764/solved-the-mystery-of-the-missing-artist)
As my book Windy’s Last Ride says in the opening chapter, a
skull, some bones and clothes were discovered by some kids in December of 1997.
With a quick internet search of the name Everett Reuss, I found several photos
of the missing artist. (https://www.ksl.com/article/82638/human-face-given-to-mystery-skeleton)
When I put the images of the reconstruction of Lil’ Webb’s
skull and photos of Reuss side by side, my heart raced. Yet, more than the
images match: 1. Reuss had taken a few falls. Webby had cracked ribs that
showed signs of healing long before the victim’s demise. 2. Signs of an active
lung infection; might have also been scar tissue from anaphylactic shock
(severe allergic reaction to insect stings). 3. Clothes found on Webby's remains might possibly
have been from the armed services or could have been purchased at an army supply
or camping store. The clothes and boots might also have been obtained during a trade.
I do not know who to contact, but I would hope that DNA
tests of Lil’ Webb will be compared to any willing members of the Reuss family
to finally bring this mystery to a close.
For more on the life of Everett Reuss, please consider
reading Philip L. Fradkin’s book Everett Ruess: His Short Life, Mysterious
Death and Astonishing Afterlife.
