Colorado police find remains of teen girl missing since December

DENVER (Reuters) - The remains of an 18-year-old girl who vanished in western Colorado late last year have been found and the police are treating the teen's death as suspicious, authorities said. Kelly Mae Myers was reported missing by relatives in the mountain town of Grand Junction who said they last heard from her on Dec. 18 and described her disappearance as very unusual. Investigators said at the time that some reports indicated she may have been attempting to hitchhike to visit friends in Salt Lake City in neighboring Utah. The Mesa County Sheriff's Office said her remains were recovered on Saturday in the remote Cactus Park area, several miles south of Grand Junction, by deputies and staff from the county coroner's office. An autopsy was conducted on Sunday and the cause and manner of her death remain under investigation, officials said. "At this time, it is considered a suspicious death investigation ... (which) remains active and ongoing," the sheriff's office said on Sunday in a statement. "Please be patient as many details are not yet available for release. We hope the community will surround her family and friends, and support them in their time of grief." (Reporting by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Eric Beech)