Two hunter friends, Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, were on a hunting trip when they were reported missing. The two bodies discovered in southern Colorado were confirmed by the coroner to be those of the missing hunter friends.
They were both trained and experienced hunters, and their bodies were discovered almost a week after they disappeared. The two were hunting in the Rio Grande National Forest in southern Colorado when their family member was traveling on Sept. 18.
The same day, the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office revealed two unidentified men’s bodies were discovered from the trail around 11 am after a search and rescue operation. The cause of death is still a mystery as more investigation is going on.
New details indicate that there were no signs of trauma or other obvious injuries on their bodies. According Denver 7, there were no injuries on the bodies or any signs of foul play.
Update: Missing Elk Hunters Found Dead in Southwest Colorado
“It is with a broken heart and through tears that I give you this update,” wrote GoFundMe organizer Lynn Runkle, who identified herself as Andrew Porter’s aunt, from Greenbriar Heights, Virginia.
“Andrew and Ian… pic.twitter.com/a3x02wfSGR
— Field & Stream (@FieldandStream) September 19, 2025
According to the coroner, ‘If there had been signs of trauma, the inquiry into the hunters’ deaths would have become a federal investigation, because their bodies were discovered on federal land.’
The two bodies will be sent for autopsy on Sept. 22 to determine the cause of death and continue the investigation. The 25-year-old hunters were in the area for elk hunting, and they last made contact with Porter’s fiancée. Before that, they were giving regular updates to their family.
The lack of contact led to suspicion, and emergency responders started searching for them. The authorities got concerned about spotting camping gear and a backpack near their vehicle. Bad weather and heavy rain that day further complicated the rescue efforts.
After a weeklong search, the families of two 25-year-old elk hunters, named Ian Stasko and Andrew Porter, have confirmed they were found dead. It is believed that they faced unexpected severe weather while hunting in Colorado’s Rio Grande National Forest.
Read more about the… pic.twitter.com/oqWkCmZYia— Country Rebel (@CountryRebelCo) September 19, 2025
The authorities used a dog team, local volunteers, and drones to locate the two men. Porter’s fiancée, Bridget Murphy, urged people to aid in their search as she was hopeful the two men would be found.
She added that the two were ‘prepared outdoorsmen.’ She said, ‘It depends on whether they were in sound mind, if they were disoriented or panicked, or if they were already hypothermic. We’re just not sure. So there’s a lot of teams out looking.’ Meanwhile, Porter’s aunt, Lynne Runkle, also started a GoFundMe page to aid in the rescue operations.
