A mysterious gravesite near a construction zone northeast of Durango was determined to be a memorial for a woman who passed away several years ago, according to La Plata County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dan Bender.

Bender said the woman’s family set up the memorial site in 2008. He identified the woman as Kathy Fritch.

The family has since moved from the area, and a friend the past few years has maintained it, Bender said.

He did not know why the location is particularly significant to the family.

There is no body at the location or evidence of foul play, but it contains some cremains, Bender said.

According to a previous report, construction workers in the Edgemont Highlands subdivision, about five miles northeast of Durango, found freshly placed flowers and a wooden cross with the dates 1934-2008 on Aug. 22.

The site was found in brush growing on a vacant lot, and only was spotted because the flowers caught someone’s eye. The cross was made of two pieces of wood, and the dates were written in permanent marker, authorities said.

The Sheriff’s Office used cadaver-sniffing dogs, which found the presence of human remains.

Authorities also used a metal detector and featured the incident as the “Crime of the Week” in the Durango-La Plata County Crimestoppers poster for clues.

Bender said because the memorial is on private property, it’s up to the landowner to decide what to do with the site.

jromeo@durangoherald.com