COLORADO SPRINGS – As a Colorado Springs family grieves they are also searching for answers.
What happened to their brother, uncle, and friend Timothy Stites? The 29-year-old was reported missing two years ago. His skeletal remains were found in Waddy, Kentucky last year, but the positive identification was just released.
On Friday, News 5 spoke with Stites’ sister, Jennifer Burrell. She said finding Timothy gives her a little bit of closure as the search for him is finally over. However, it’s opened a whole other door of questions that need to be answered: What happened? How did he die? And how did he get to that rural area in Waddy?
“No, no, no. It’s not true.”
It was about two weeks ago when Burrell received a phone call that would change her live forever.
‘”When I called back and the person that answered the phone said Shelby County Coroner I knew…he said he wanted to talk about my brother Timothy Stites and I said “no, no.”‘
Stites’ remains were found in Waddy in February of 2017.
“A dog had brought his skull to the owner of the property.”
A university lab wasn’t able to identify Stites until a few weeks ago.
“It kind of gave me closure in one part of it as far as searching and hunting all the time, looking for him.”
It was a search that lasted for two long years.
“Beginning to middle of June I didn’t hear from him and then I got concerned.”
Burrell said her brother had moved from Colorado Springs to Georgia for a job and to be closer to his three kids.
His work, at one point, sent him to Kentucky.
‘”After awhile on Facebook I messaged him and said “Hey, I’m going to report you missing. What is going on?”And I just got no reply.”‘
It was in August of 2016 when Burrell called detectives in Louisville to file a missing persons report.
“We kept looking. We kept searching. We kept putting stuff on Facebook…there wasn’t much we could do. We kept in contact with the detective.”
The search for Stites may be over, but what led up to his death is still a mystery.
“Somebody knows something. He didn’t walk out there into some tree, farm, back-wooded area and just lay down and die.”
Her plea now is that someone comes forward.
“If anybody knows anything, anything, I mean even the smallest details could lead us to where we need to be.”
A cause of death has not been released. Burrell is asking that if you any information to please call the Lousiville Police Department.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help get Stites back to Colorado Springs and cover funeral expenses. To donate, click here.
