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Bone fragments found in search for missing woman in wake of Marshall Fire

Investigators working to determine if they are human bones
Colorado Wildfires Missing People
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BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — Testing is underway after investigators found small bone fragments at the remains of a property where a woman, who has been missing since the Marshall Fire, was last seen, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said.

Family members of 91-year-old Edna Nadine Turnbull told Denver7 on Jan. 2 that she was last seen trying to exit through a side door of her home. While a neighbor came to help another one of Turnbull’s granddaughters escape, the family said they aren't sure if firefighters came back for Turnbull.

The sheriff's office said Turnbull had been notified to evacuate and she went into a property to rescue her dogs as the Marshall Fire moved in on Dec. 30.

EdnaNadineTurnbull.png
91-year-old Edna Nadine Turnbull

The blaze ended up damaging or destroying more than 1,000 homes and businesses in Superior, Louisville and Boulder County amid hurricane-force winds and extreme drought conditions.

The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said its investigators, along with the Boulder County Coroner’s Office, has been searching for Turnbull's remains at a property in Superior.

The sheriff's office announced Wednesday morning that small bone fragments were found and testing is underway to determine if the bones are from a human or animal. This process may take weeks to months, the sheriff's office said. Denver7 will report on these findings as soon as they're available.

Turnbull was one of three people who were missing in the immediate wake of the Marshall Fire. One person was found alive and a second person, later identified as Robert Sharpe, 69, of Boulder, had died in the fire.

Colorado Wildfires Missing People
In this Oct. 1, 2005, family photo provided by Ray Ritchie, Eileen Fournier, left, and her brother Robert Sharpe pose for a picture. Sharpe was spotted in December 2021 trying to fight a wildfire and waved off at least one warning for him to evacuate his home in a semi-rural area near Boulder, Colo., according to his brother Milt Sharpe. His remains were found inside his home a week after the Dec. 30 fire tore through the area. (Ray Ritchie via AP)

The search for Turnbull will continue as investigators test the bone fragments.