Remains ID’d as missing man

PENDLETON, Ore. – The remains of a 21-year-old Walla Walla man who went missing 30 years ago were officially identified Thursday by officials with the Umatilla National Forest.

In October 1981, Keith Zunke, a developmentally disabled hiker, went missing during a field trip from what was then a home for the developmentally disabled known as Stonecreek Lodge, according to officials.

Last July, Zunke’s skull was found by hikers in the Deduct Pond area near Tiger Canyon Road in Oregon. One of the hikers removed the skull and took it home with him, thinking it was the remains of the legendary Sasquatch.

The skull later was turned over to Oregon authorities, who identified the remains through the state Medical Examiner’s Office. DNA sampling of the skull matched with relatives of Zunke, confirming it was his remains.