Two Charlottesville Natives Found Deceased During Hunting Trip in Colorado

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — Two Charlottesville-area natives, Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, have been found deceased after disappearing during a hunting trip in southern Colorado last week, according to family sources. The two 25-year-olds were former students at James Madison University.

Search and rescue teams located their bodies in the Rio Grande National Forest on Thursday afternoon. Fellow hunters reportedly encountered Porter and Stasko on Friday, September 12, near the Spruce Hollow Trailhead, around 10 a.m. The men mentioned tracking a large bull they had spotted.

About an hour after their last sighting, search teams found their car moved to the Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead. Extensive search efforts involved hundreds of volunteers utilizing helicopters, drones, and ground teams to scour the rugged terrain.

Bridget Murphy, Porter’s fiancée, provided updates on social media throughout the search. “That gives us one more night and morning we know they were safe before the storms,” she posted, acknowledging the search efforts of numerous teams.

Porter, living in North Carolina, and Stasko, living in Utah, were expected to return home on Wednesday after concluding their trip. Murphy shared her hopes, stating, “We are praying every moment. We know they’re very strong and capable guys.”

Andrea Jones, a ranger in the Conejos Peak District, noted the area is heavily wooded and challenging. She indicated that with adequate shelter, water, and food, an individual could potentially survive in the region for days.

In light of their disappearance, Murphy announced a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the discovery of the two men. A fundraising campaign initiated by Porter’s aunt had gathered over $70,000 for the search efforts by Thursday morning.