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Hartley Says Skeleton Found In Falcon Lake Wasn't David

DENVER (CBS4) - The skeletal remains found in a lake on the U.S./Mexico border are not those of David Hartley.

According to Tiffany Hartley -- David's widow who lives in northern Colorado -- the couple was jet skiing in 2010 when armed men on boats opened fire on them, killing David.

The incident happened on Falcon Lake, which is cut in half by the border.

A professional fisherman found human remains in the lake last month on the Mexican side of the lake -- in the same area where Hartley says her husband was shot.

Hartley told CBS4 she has been informed the remains are not those of her husband.

"I knew that the chances were very slim that it would be David, but at the same time it was that glimpse of hope that yeah one day he will be found," she said.

She said she's thankful to both the U.S. and Mexican governments for their work this week. She said the past week has been very emotional.

"He didn't have any head wounds and he is only about 5-foot-10, so which David was 6-foot-5. The clothing didn't quite match either," Hartley told CBS4's Mike Hooker. "We were really appreciative with the Mexican and U.S. government. But the Mexican government acted so quickly. They went in located the remains within a few days."

She said she's praying for the family of the man who was found. She hopes he will be identified and the family can find some closure.

"I pray that the family finds out who this belongs to and gets that same closure that we're looking for," she said. "We continue hoping and believing that maybe one David will be brought home."

Hartley believes those responsible are members of one of the drug cartels that operate in the area.

At the time -- Sept. 30, 2010 -- the couple lived in Texas but they had been planning to move back to live near friends and family in their native Colorado soon. Hartley moved back to this state after the incident.

Tiffany Hartley spent much of last year campaigning for the American government to do more to pressure the Mexican government into a bigger-scale investigation into what happened to David.

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