James Bitner, 56, was killed in his Black Hawk, Colorado, home on November 12, 2023. His death did not come to light until his remains were discovered on July 4, 2024, wrapped in blankets and a tarp near Mirror Lake in Albany County, Wyoming; the body had initially been identified as John Doe.

An autopsy determined the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. Investigators traced the case back to Colorado and charged James’s adopted son, Jaymz Bitner, with second-degree murder, tampering with a deceased human body, and solicitation to dispose of a body. Court proceedings resulted in Jaymz pleading guilty to second-degree murder and receiving a 24-year sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Are there details about James’s life in Black Hawk or contacts who might help fill in what led to this tragedy?