Neal Keller, left, and Zoe Keller meet with reporters in the office of Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson, right, on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015, in Cleveland, Tenn. The Keller's son, Joe Keller, is missing in Colorado. Also read...
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Family photo of Joe Keller taken before he went missing in Colorado last year.Bones found in Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest last month are the remains of Joe Keller, according to a Facebook post from a group dedicated to finding the missing man from Cleveland, Tenn.
"Dear friends, the DNA results have come back and confirmed that the remains found on July 6, 2016 in the Conejos Canyon are indeed Joe. Continue to keep the Kellers in your prayers as they prepare to bring him home. Thank you," the post said.
On July 23 of last year, Keller went missing during a run in sparsely populated Conejos County - the day before he turned 19.
A champion swimmer who grew up on a Bradley County farm, Keller was traveling cross-country with his two best friends and had stopped to visit family at the Rainbow Trout Ranch in the national forest.
He was a children's swim coach at the YMCA who helped the Salvation Army feed the homeless and a math whiz who wanted to be a high school teacher. Friends and supporters lamented on Facebook in the comments below the post.
"I prayed and hoped for a different outcome," one woman said.
"But at least the family knows and are not tied to a life of agonizing wondering. They can now bring Joe home and close this chapter but they will never find closure over losing their son. Rest In Peace Joe."
Joseph Keller