Body of missing person found in parked car in Mendocino County

The body of a man missing since July 9 was found in a car just north of Boonville on Tuesday night, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The man, whose name has not been released pending notification of his family, was described as a 57-year-old African-American resident of Elk Grove.

During an autopsy Thursday, no cause of death could be determined, Lt. Jason Caudillo said, and there were no visible injuries or signs of violence.

“At this point, it doesn’t seem to be suspicious, but it’s still under investigation,” he said.

The discovery was reported about 8:30 p.m. by a woman from Fort Bragg who noticed the man’s silver 2000 Ford Mustang when she pulled over to park in a turnout on the 24000 block of Highway 128.

She noticed something “suspicious” about the car, Caudillo said, which prompted her to get out and check on the car, when she noticed the man’s body, accompanied by a bad odor.

No drug or alcohol paraphernalia was found in the car, and the cause of death is pending toxicology results.

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 707-521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.