The Denver Post is reporting the Larimer County Sheriff's office will begin a criminal investigation as soon as the boy's remains are positively identified.
According to the Post, some group members from the Christian Singles Network could face charges of criminally negligent homicide. Members of the group say they are unaware of any pending criminal investigation.
Tuesday, the remains found Saturday will be sent to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation laboratory for testing. DNA tests on the skull and tooth could take months.
The remains were found near Poudre Canyon, not far from where two hikers found Jaryd's clothes earlier this month.
The Larimer County Sheriff's office believes they belong to Jaryd.
His father, Allyn, said he blames the group for Jaryd's death.
"They dropped the ball on watching Jaryd. I feel strongly that somebody needs to be held responsible for this," he said. "I lost my son. My daughter lost her best friend."
Allyn Atadero let Jaryd go hiking on Oct. 2, 1999, with his older sister, Josallyn, then 6, and 11 adults in the Christian Singles Network. Jaryd disappeared while playing hide and seek with group members, whom Allyn Atadero considered his friends.
Searchers on Saturday found a child's skull and baby tooth in the rugged wilderness of Poudre Canyon. They were searching the area after two hikers spotted tattered clothing on June 4 near where Jaryd disappeared.
Atadero says he wants the church group to be held responsible. While a district attorney will decide whether to charge the members, legal analysts say it is pretty unlikely.
Group members say they have already suffered enough without having to face charges.
In a statement Monday, the sheriff's office also clarified why it appears the boy was killed by a mountain lion. A wildlife biologist from Wyoming said the damage to Jaryd's shirt shoulders and upper arms is consistent with a lion grabbing its prey.
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