Remains of Noorvik Man Missing Since May 2013 Identified

Aerial view of the  village of Noorvik.
Aerial view of the village of Noorvik.

The Alaska State Troopers revealed that a second set of remains, those of Clifford Griest, were positively identified by the Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology in Texas, after they were discovered in the surf 60 miles south of Kotzebue almost a year ago. They positively identified Griest using DNA analysis. Griest had been discovered by a survey crew working on the beach.

It was in May of 2013 that 32-year-old Griest and and 22-year-old Shellain Adams went missing while on a trip to Noorvik from Kotzebue. They had been traveling on a single snow machine.

The Alaska State Troopers, Arctic Circle Search and Rescue, Northwest Arctic Search and Rescue, US Air Force RCC Aircraft and over 150 volunteers took up the search for the two travelers. The searchers conducted an extensive area-wide search for Griest and Adams. But, after seven days with no results, the search was called off on May 22nd.

The remains of Adams were discovered in the surf 10 miles of Point Hope on July 4th of 2013.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]