Joshua Maddux, an 18-year-old from Woodland Park, Colorado, went for a walk on May 8, 2008 — and never returned. Despite searches and hope from his family, he remained missing for seven years.
In 2015, construction workers demolishing an old cabin found Joshua’s mummified body stuck inside the chimney, less than a mile from his home. His clothes were folded inside the cabin, and a heavy wooden bar blocked the chimney. There were no signs of trauma, and the coroner first ruled it an accident, suggesting Joshua climbed in and became trapped.
However, the cabin owner disputed that theory, saying metal mesh prevented anyone from entering from the top, raising questions about how Joshua got there at all.
Rumors and tips surfaced, including claims someone bragged about putting Josh “in a hole,” but nothing was ever confirmed.
To this day, how Joshua ended up in that chimney remains an unsolved mystery — a tragic story that still haunts his family.