San Rafael Desert, Emery County, UT, August 30, 2017
On August 30, 2017, ECSO received a call from a man stating that he had discovered the body of a woman on a remote dirt road in Emery County near the Mussentuchit Sand Dune.
ECSO personnel responded to the town of Emery and met with the man. He stated that he was from Germany and had come to the area to view the eclipse. He said that after the eclipse, he had a few days to explore and photograph the area and was enroute to the Mussentuchit Sand Dune when he saw a body in the road. He stated that he did not go near the body, but that he turned his vehicle around and drove approximately 25 miles to the nearest town to report what he had discovered.
ECSO personnel then drove to the area to investigate. After processing the scene, detectives stated that there did not appear to be any signs of foul play. Near the body of the woman were plastic grocery bags containing food and water, a cell phone, several forms of I.D, credit cards and cash. Detectives found a set of vehicle keys, and began looking for a vehicle. The vehicle was located just over 5 miles from where the body was discovered. It appeared that flash flooding had recently occurred in the area and that the vehicle had become stuck in a wash. Several portions of the road were also washed out but were passable in a 4×4 vehicle.
The woman was identified as 82-year-old Marlene Clark from Oregon. Next of kin were notified and the body was transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office to determine cause of death.