Joshua Maddux went out for a walk in 2008 — and never came home. Seven years later, his body was found inside a chimney, leaving behind one of Colorado’s most haunting mysteries.
Joshua, 18, loved nature and often took long walks near his Woodland Park home. After losing his brother to suicide two years earlier, he struggled but still seemed positive and full of life. On May 8, 2008, he told his sister he was heading out — then vanished.
A massive search followed, but no trace was found. His family held onto hope, imagining he might be traveling, writing, or starting a new life somewhere.
The truth came in 2015, when workers demolishing an old cabin discovered human remains wedged in a chimney. Dental records confirmed it was Joshua. Strangely, his clothes were folded neatly inside the cabin, while he was found wearing only a thin shirt. A heavy wooden bar had also been dragged over the chimney opening.
The coroner found no signs of trauma and first ruled the death accidental, suggesting Joshua climbed into the chimney and got stuck. But the cabin owner disagreed — he had installed a metal grate that would have made climbing down impossible. He insisted Joshua didn’t enter from the top.
With so many odd details, the cause of death was later changed to accident, murder, or undetermined. Police received tips about someone bragging they had put Joshua “in a hole,” but nothing could be proven.
For Joshua’s family, the discovery ended years of searching but brought no real answers. How he ended up in the chimney — and why — remains a mystery.
A tragic story with a heartbreaking ending, and one that may never be fully solved.