Bones, Shoes, Credit Cards Discovered

The continuing search for more of the remains of adventurer Steve Fossett's body has yielded two large human bones, which have been sent to a lab for DNA testing.

Found about a half-mile east of the crash site, the discovery of the bones "reinforces our theory that animals dragged him away," County Sheriff John Anderson said. Lab results are expected in a week.

Previous bone fragments discovered near the aircraft's wreckage were found to be either not human or too small for DNA analysis, UKs Telegraph said.

Search crews scouring the area also found tennis shoes, Fossett's Illinois driver's license, and some credit cards. The shoes and license had animal bite marks on them, authorities said.

As ANN previously reported, Fossett disappeared last year after taking off in a friend's Bellanca Decathlon on a pleasure flight, scouting for locations to engage in a land speed record attempt.

The crash site was found last month after a hiker came across Fossett's pilot identification cards west of Mammoth Lakes in the eastern Sierra Nevadas. Authorities speculate that Fossett died instantly upon impacting the mountainside at about 10,000 feet elevation.

Fossett's widow, Peggy, released a statement describing the new discovery of bones as "another step in the process of completing the investigation into the tragic accident that took Steve's life."

Although further searches near the crash site have been discontinued, investigation into the cause of the accident continues.

FMI: www.stevefossett.com