Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — A man being investigated for the disappearance of a Hayden girl more than 20 years ago was recently arrested in Moffat County.
Stephen Skufca, 42, was arrested by the Moffat County Sheriff's Office for allegedly trying to run over a man with his car. He also faces drug charges.
During the execution of an arrest warrant Thursday night, authorities allegedly found drugs and drug paraphernalia in Skufca's possession.
Skufca is one of three men authorities have identified as suspects in the ongoing investigation of the November 1979 disappearance of Marie Blee.
At the time, Blee was a 15-year-old sophomore at Hayden High School. She disappeared from a party in Craig.
Skufca has been identified by authorities as a suspect, along with Monty Doolin and Max Abel Garcia.
It is not known whether Skufca's arrest will have an impact on the Blee investigation, which is being conducted by a multi-jurisdictional task force.
Moffat County Undersheriff Jerry Hoberg, who is the spokesman for the task force, could not be reached for comment Monday.
In this latest run-in with the law, Skufca is accused of trying to run over a man named Timothy Stauffer with his car.
Because of the alleged incident, he faces charges of criminal menacing, reckless endangerment and reckless driving.
While authorities were arresting Skufca, drugs were found in his possession.
According to an arrest warrant, authorities found more than an ounce of marijuana and less than an ounce of methamphetamine in Skufca's possession.
Authorities also found additional methamphetamines while he was being booked in the Moffat County Jail.
Because of the drug possession, he is facing felony charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and first-degree introduction of contraband into jail.
A charge of possession of drug paraphernalia, which is a petty offense, is also being sought against the Craig man.
Skufca is being held in the Moffat County Jail on a $30,000 bond.
He is scheduled to appear in a Moffat County courtroom at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 3.
For more than two decades, Blee's disappearance has been a mystery for local authorities.
In an attempt to solve the case, a task force was formed in June 1999.
The task force is a combined effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Moffat and Routt county sheriff offices and Craig and Hayden police departments.
Witnesses have put Blee with Doolin, Skufca and Abel the night she disappeared.

To reach Gary E. Salazar call 871-4205 or e-mail gsalazar@amigo.net