LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Authorities identified the body found with gunshot wounds near I-15 as a missing person from Arizona.
According to officials, 66-year-old Russel Vinton reportedly went camping with a friend in a white 2017 Man Cave trailer near Jacob Lake.
Police say Vinton’s wife contacted police and shared she had not heard from her husband for a few days.
LVMPD reported on Oct. 6, they found an unidentified deceased male around 7:26 a.m.
On Oct. 8, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report about a missing person.
Authorities reported Vinton’s truck and camper were not found, but some other personal items were located at the site.
Lake Havasu Police Department notified CCSO on Oct. 9 that Vinton’s truck was spotted in the area.
Officials say LHPD approached the people in the truck. The individuals in the truck began shooting at the officers.
The detectives fired back, according to police, and the suspect died on the scene. Officials later identified 61-year-old Patrick Neal from Tennesee.
Lake Havasu detectives were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
LVMPD reports the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office will now lead the investigation.
Authorities are still looking for the trailer with Arizona plates.
You can contact CCSO at (928) 774-4523 with any tips.
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