Pueblo homicide victim ID'd, PCSO investigating human remains found in Avondale field

Justin Reutter, The Pueblo Chieftain
·2 min read

A 36-year-old man who was shot and killed Monday in Pueblo has been identified by the Pueblo County Coroner's Office.

Puebloan Josip Philley was "shot while walking on a sidewalk near 15th and Blake streets," coroner Brian Cotter announced on Twitter.

Police responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 3:56 p.m. Monday, according to Pueblo PD spokesperson Capt. Dustin Taylor, and found Philley with at least one gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died.

Cotter said an autopsy is scheduled for the victim and that his family had been notified. Police continue to investigate the death as a homicide.

Also on Wednesday, the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office announced a death investigation after human remains were found Sunday morning in a field in the Avondale area of eastern Pueblo County.

Sheriff’s deputies were called to a field in the 3500 block of 36th Lane about 11:15 a.m. Sunday after the property owner reported finding what he believed were human bones, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

The bones were confirmed to be human, at which point the investigation was turned over to PCSO detectives.

Detectives are working to determine what may have led to the individual's death and how they ended upin the field. Further information regarding the deceased's gender, identity, manner and cause of death will bereleased by the coroner’s office pending autopsy results.

Additional information will be released when it becomes available, the PCSO said in its release.

Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the area or know anything about the incident is encouraged to contact the PCSO at 719-583-6250 or Crime Stoppers at 719-542-7867 or online at pueblocrimestoppers.com.

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin @jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jayreutter1.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Homicide victim identified, PCSO investigating human remains