Members of the Hualapai Tribe found William Anthony Ott’s remains near the area searched after he disappeared more than 14 years ago.
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Human remains recovered in a remote area near the Grand Canyon have been identified as William Anthony Ott, an Oregon hiker who disappeared during a solo backcountry trip in 2012, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said.
The identification resolves a missing-person case that remained open for more than 14 years, but it does not explain how Ott died. Members of the Hualapai Tribe found the remains in December 2025 in the general area where agencies had searched for him after his disappearance. DNA testing by the Arizona Department of Public Safety later confirmed his identity.
Ott was 65 when he began a planned three-week hike through a remote part of the Hualapai Indian Reservation on April 5, 2012. He was expected to finish the trip April 28 but did not return. He was reported missing after remaining overdue, according to information released during the search and carried by the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
The National Park Service, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and other organizations joined the original search. Crews examined the rugged western Grand Canyon region but found no sign of Ott. The area’s steep terrain, limited access and isolation complicated the effort to determine where he had traveled after beginning the hike.
After Hualapai Tribe members located the remains, they were transferred to the Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office. Investigators then worked with state public safety officials on the DNA analysis. The Sheriff’s Office announced the identification July 21 and thanked the tribe for recovering the remains, along with the agencies that took part in the earlier search.
Ott was described in previous reports as an experienced backcountry traveler with extensive knowledge of the Grand Canyon. Scott Thybony, a friend who participated in the original search, told public radio station KNAU in 2017 that Ott had spent 78 days traveling along the canyon’s north side in 1981.
Thybony said Ott had a strong interest in ancient rock art and regularly traveled into remote canyon country to study pictographs. Ott reportedly was looking for old rock art panels during the 2012 trip. His experience in the region initially offered hope that he could manage the difficult conditions, but searchers found no evidence showing where he had gone.
Information published while Ott was missing said he carried a GPS device but did not have a cellphone. Authorities have not publicly detailed what equipment or personal belongings were found near the remains. They also have not said whether investigators were able to reconstruct Ott’s final movements.
The remains were found in the broad area covered by the original search, but officials have not released a precise location. The cause and manner of Ott’s death have not been announced, and authorities have not reported evidence of foul play.
The DNA identification provides Ott’s family and friends with confirmation of what happened to him after years of uncertainty. Questions about the circumstances of his death remain unresolved, and the Sheriff’s Office has not announced further findings or a new investigative step.
Author note: Last updated July 23, 2026.