Kenny John, 46, was last seen on May 12

BLANCA — The weeks-long search by Blanca Police Department for local missing man Kenny John, 46, came to a tragic conclusion with an announcement on Thursday, June 22, that an identification had been made of the human remains found earlier this week.

John was last seen in the Blanca area at about 8 p.m. on May 12. At that time, it was believed he was driving a white 2013 Ford F-150 Platinum towing a black trailer carrying a 2023 white Polaris.

That information was made available to the public in a May 18 post by the police department asking for help from the public in locating John’s whereabouts.

On Monday, June 19, the Blanca Police Department issued a press release stating that human remains were found south of Blanca on County Road 12 and 31st Street. Three days later, the public was informed that the remains were identified as John.

Multiple agencies have assisted the Blanca Police Department in this search and discovery, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Costilla County Sheriff's Office, Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office K9 and the Costilla County Coroner's Office. The El Paso County Coroner’s Office assisted in identification of the remains.

The Blanca Police Department has not officially indicated if foul play was involved in John’s death but stated that this continues to be an active, ongoing investigation. The Valley Courier reached out to Police Chief Ricky Rodriguez but had not received a response as of press time on Friday.