Missing Denver Broncos Fan Found Alive and Well 110 Miles South of Stadium

A missing Denver Broncos fan was found in good health and spirits Tuesday night after disappearing from Sports Authority Field at Mile High nearly a week ago.

CNN’s Eliott C. McLaughlin reports that local authorities found 53-year-old Paul Kitterman in a K-Mart parking lot near Pueblo, Colorado—about 110 miles from the Broncos home field. 

According to McLaughlin, Kitterman told authorities he had “had his fill of football” and wanted to be “somewhere warmer” when he decided to leave the game.

Kitterman’s discovery comes after his disappearance made national news over the weekend. The Kremmling, Colorado, resident attended the game with his stepson, Jarod Tonneson, and some friends but turned up missing after Tonneson returned from a bathroom break. 

Family members filed a missing person report for Kitterman, which Pueblo police used Tuesday to positively identify the missing man. Authorities reported that Kitterman was not intoxicated at the time of his discovery and was “speaking and answering questions intelligibly that were asked of him.” Authorities report that he has no past history of mental illness.

It also appears that Kitterman didn’t want to be found.

McLaughlin reports that the Denver man told police he slept in wooded areas and bushes during his 110-mile pilgrimage and had purposefully ditched his Broncos hat to avoid identification. 

Earlier reports by CNN’s Janet DiGiacomo and Steve Almasy indicated that Kitterman wasn’t carrying his cellphone at the time of his disappearance and left the stadium with an estimated $50 in his wallet.

Kitterman’s stepdaughter, Tawna Tonneson, confirmed in a Facebook post that their stepfather had been found. 

It’s a happy ending to a strange story, and while many questions remain regarding Kitterman, the important thing is he’s safe, and we've all learned a valuable lesson.

Always leave a note, sports fans.

Follow Dan on Twitter for more sports and pop culture filigree.

Follow @Dr_Carson_