The family of an Air Force Academy cadet who died earlier this month has suffered another tragedy: Hikers have found a body believed to be the cadet's mother, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported.
Ksenia Quiros went missing on Wednesday, the newspaper reported. After the body was discovered Saturday west of Gold Camp Reservoir, a Colorado Springs Fire Department official said he was confident that search efforts for Quiros could stop.
Her husband Jose posted a message on Facebook confirming the worst, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette.
"Thank you all for your support," the newspaper reported the message said. "Unfortunately, Ksenia's body was found earlier today. We ask that we be provided some privacy at this time. We can only handle so much tragedy at a time. Thank you all again, we are overwhelmed with the support."
The terrible news comes little more than two weeks after Cadet 1st Class Alexandre Quiros, 21, was found dead in his dorm room on April 2. The academy issued a brief news release saying he was found with unspecified injuries. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is working to determine the cause of death.
His high school calculus teacher, Nick Gagliardi, remembers that Alexandre Quiros was an outstanding student who had a near perfect academic record in high school.
"The great thing about Alex: Not only was he a scholar, but kids just loved being around him," Gagliardi told Air Force Times in an interview earlier this month. "He was a bit different. He was very witty. Often, he would catch me making mistakes — great young man.
"The thing that was amazing about Alex is he always had time to go to a play or help people with homework or just to give back to other kids. I am a better person having known Alex Quiros."
