Why the Missing Broncos Fan Walked 118 Miles

Paul Kitterman had simply had 'his fill of football' and sought warmer climes: cops
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 29, 2014 1:13 PM CDT
Why the Missing Broncos Fan Walked 118 Miles
In this Oct. 23, 2014, photo, Paul Kitterman, left, and his stepson Jarod Tonneson pose for a photo during a San Diego Chargers-Denver Broncos football game in Denver.   (AP Photo/Courtesy Jarod Tonneson)

Paul Kitterman's family and friends are relieved the Colorado man was found safe and sound after disappearing from a Denver Broncos game on Thursday, but now everyone's wondering where the heck he's been and why he left. Police say Kitterman—found "tired" but in seemingly good condition in a Kmart parking lot in Pueblo yesterday—told them he'd simply had "his fill of football and decided to go for a walk … to somewhere warmer," the Denver Post reports. That walk ended 118 miles south of where he started out, with Kitterman resting in tree-shaded areas and in bushes along the way and even ditching his Broncos cap so no one would recognize him, according to his statements to police. Authorities called relatives to come get him while he rested in a local room the police chaplain arranged for him, ABC News reports.

Kitterman's family members publicized his case in the hopes of gaining widespread attention (they did) to help find the missing 53-year-old; they phoned local hospitals, detox centers, and jails, the Post notes, and put up fliers (Kitterman said he didn't know there had been so much hubbub about his disappearance). But a family spokesperson asked for privacy earlier today in a Facebook post that appears to have since been taken down. "The family is happy to report Paul has been found and they are now with him and he is safe," the post says, per ABC News. "We know there are many questions that some of you may have but for the time being we are asking that you respect [their] privacy as they have been through a lot." (The mother-in-law of Megadeth's lead singer is still missing.)

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