Authorities are investigating human remains found in the Guatemalan jungle, suspected to belong to missing birdwatcher Raymond Vincent Ashcroft. Clothes matching those worn by Ashcroft were also located nearby.
Remains Found in Guatemalan Jungle Might Belong to Missing Birdwatcher

Remains Found in Guatemalan Jungle Might Belong to Missing Birdwatcher
Human bones discovered near Tikal archaeological site are believed to be those of Raymond Vincent Ashcroft, a U.S. birdwatcher missing since February 2023.
Human remains recently uncovered in the Guatemalan jungle are suspected to belong to Raymond Vincent Ashcroft, a U.S. birdwatcher who vanished over two years ago. Reports indicate that officials have linked the bones to Ashcroft through clothing found at the scene, which includes a lilac shirt, sandals, and shorts similar to what he wore at the time of his disappearance.
Ashcroft, age 66, was on an excursion with a birdwatching group visiting the iconic Maya ruins of Tikal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, when he was last seen in February 2023. According to his wife, he opted to return to the hotel while she remained behind to photograph the surroundings, but he never arrived at their lodging. This prompted her to report him missing as soon as she realized he had not returned.
Initial search efforts commenced promptly, just thirty minutes after Ashcroft separated from his group, yet these attempts yielded no leads. The dense vegetation of Tikal National Park posed significant challenges, hindering the search and the use of sniffer dogs, which were brought in later. As weeks passed without any sightings or evidence, Interpol even issued a yellow notice in hopes of garnering information about his whereabouts.
This past week, local villagers stumbled upon the human bones and clothing approximately 14km from the famed archaeological site. Carlos Soza of the Guatemalan Attorney-General's Office for Crimes Against Foreign Tourists confirmed the finding. He noted that the remains were concealed under thick vegetation accessible solely on foot. A DNA test is now pending to definitively ascertain if the remains belong to Ashcroft.
It’s worth noting that Tikal National Park has seen prior cases of missing tourists, including a 53-year-old German man who died from heat stroke after losing contact with his group in 2022, and a French family who was found after being lost for two days in early 2023. The mysterious nature of Ashcroft's case adds to the concerns regarding safety in remote tourist locations.