The five-month search for a missing Peoria teenager came to a tragic conclusion as authorities identified human remains found on a Phoenix mountain as those of 16-year-old Bradley Klose, as first reported by FOX 10 Phoenix and confirmed by AZ Family. Klose was reported missing after he was last seen walking out of his place of work near 75th Avenue and Jomax Road on April 8, the reports said.
On September 9, a witness alerted authorities to skeletal remains in a remote part of the Deem Hills Recreation Area which triggered an investigation by Phoenix and Peoria police, eventually leading to the somber identification. Police were investigating a death near 67th Avenue and Happy Valley Road when they found the remains and the victim has since been identified as Bradley Klose, the boy on the autism spectrum whose family had been dearly worried because his disappearance was out of character. Peoria Police has taken the lead on the death investigation, which currently points to no foul play or suspicious circumstances surrounding Klose's death, and they are not seeking any suspects at this time.
The Klose family issued a statement acknowledging the loss of Bradley, "This is a heartbreaking end to the search for Bradley. Our family is in mourning and kindly asks for privacy as we work through this difficult time. Though this is not the outcome we had hoped for, we praise God for answering prayers and shining a light on Bradley. We would like to thank all of our friends, neighbors, the community and the Peoria police Department for not giving up on the search," a statement obtained by both FOX 10 Phoenix and AZ Family.
The case, while appearing to be resolved, invites a deepened sense of awareness in the community concerning missing persons, especially those vulnerable due to developmental challenges such as autism, Klose was on the autism spectrum which had raised immediate concern for his safety upon his disappearance, and his cause of death remains pending a report from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office.
