Suspected trespasser found dead in Wupatki National Monument
A three-day search for a reported trespasser at Wupatki National Monument, near Flagstaff, ended in the Monday morning discovery of a man’s remains.
The Coconino County Sheriff's search and rescue dog team found Utah resident Conan Stults, 46, dead at approximately 11:36 a.m. in the national monument south of the Lomaki Pueblo area, according to the agency.
Stults was the suspected trespasser and was identified by deputies through his pickup truck, cell phone and other items found during the search, sheriff’s spokesperson Jon Paxton said.
At 4:08 p.m. Saturday, deputies responded to a reported trespass in progress in the Antelope Hills area along Highway 89, according to the Sheriff’s Office. When Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers arrived, the suspected trespasser had left the area. Witnesses told officials he was last seen walking northbound on Highway 89, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The search and rescue unit were brought in after multiple hours of an “extensive” search by deputies and troopers came up short, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Coconino County Sheriff's Office and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating the incident.
Reach breaking news reporter Jose R. Gonzalez at jose.gonzalez@gannett.com or on Twitter @jrgzztx.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suspected trespasser found dead in Wupatki National Monument
