Man demolishing derelict woodland cabin was horrified by what he found in chimney – Daily Star
Musician, Joshua Maddux was 18-years-old when he vanished from his Colorado home – but it wasn't until seven years later that he was finally found, leaving the family with more questions than answers
When Chuck Murphy set about demolishing his woodland cabin, he had no idea of the horror that lurked within the chimney.
As he tore down the structure in Woodland Park, Colorado, he came across the mummified human remains of a man curled up in the foetal position.
Dental records were able to establish the body was that of 18-year-old Joshua Maddux, who had vanished from his home less than a mile away some seven years previously.
But as much of the cabin had been knocked down before the gruesome discovery was made, potential evidence could have been lost. However, police found a few items of interest that made the case all the more bizarre.
Joshua's body was discovered in 2015 wearing only a thermal shirt, while the rest of his clothes, including his shoes, were found inside the cabin.
The hearth also had a large breakfast bar placed in front of it that Chuck Murphy said didn't belong there.
Joshua's body showed no external signs of injury but was curled up with his knees above his head. Experts said his concealed position would've been what caused his mummified state.
Speaking to EWU in November, Chuck said entry to the cabin should have been impossible due to a bar over the chimney to stop animals from getting in. "He was murdered and his body was stuffed in the chimney," he theorised.
Joshua was reported missing in May 2008 when he said he was going for a walk but left his phone behind. His family said he would often disappear for days at a time, telling them he would sleep in hotel lobbies or the post office to keep warm.
His sister told the Denver Post: "He always told us that he was going to have a great adventure and he may not talk to us for a while. When he said a while, we thought maybe a few years."
His mum also found him walking down a highway a year after being hospitalised with schizophrenia.
At the time he vanished, it was nearing the anniversary of the loss of Joshua's brother to suicide. But friends said he had appeared himself when they last saw him and described the keen guitarist as a "free spirit."
His death was ruled accidental as there were no signs of trauma on his 6ft body, but an official cause of death was unable to be ascertained.
People have been intrigued ever since by unanswered questions – mainly how he got in the chimney and why he took his clothes off.
A coroner's report said he could've "entered the chimney from the top without intending to die, only to re-enter the house." But some say that doesn't explain why his clothes were found inside.
The coroner also noted that he "could've been yelling but noone would have heard him."
"It was not an instant death, how he died is only a matter of speculation," he added.
Hypothermia could be a likely scenario due to Joshua's state of undress in a phenomenon called paradoxical undressing, which causes sufferers to begin to feel very hot and shed their clothing.
Another theory is that his position in the chimney could have caused asphyxiation with the positioning of his knees obstructing his airflow to his chest.
Police received tips of someone they suspected to be involved, and who they say bragged about killing Maddux.
Andrew Richard Newman was later taken into custody and found to be liked to several other crimes, including a stabbing. However, theories about Newman were dismissed by police due to lack of evidence.
But Chuck Murphy remains convinced that Joshua's death was far more sinister and told EWU he was unimpressed with how the investigation was conducted.
He said: "It wasn't an accident, it was a murder."
Joshua's sister told the Denver Post: "We'll never really know what happened to him. It's a horror story in my mind to imagine what my brother must've gone through."
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