By and large, freelance journalist Josh Wolf thought that the Black Lives Matter demonstration in Nevada City on Aug. 9, 2020, would be a relatively peaceful affair.
A man was found dead in a heavily wooded area near Brunswick Road early Wednesday, authorities say.
Police found the body around 8:30 a.m. on the west side of Brunswick Road, about a half mile south of Sutton Way, according to Grass Valley Police Capt. Steve Johnson. The body was found after authorities had been searching the area for a 48-year-old male who had been reported as missing last Friday.
It has not been confirmed that the body found is that of the missing individual, though there is some evidence to support this conclusion, Johnson said.
Neither the identity of the missing man nor that of the man found dead have been released by authorities.
Authorities say they’ve identified the person found dead Wednesday near Brunswick Road.
The body of William Rieg, 48, was publicly identified by the Nevada County Coroner’s Office Thursday morning, putting an end to a police search for Rieg that had started May 7.
No cause of death has yet been determined, as authorities are awaiting the official results of an autopsy that could take up to several weeks, according to Grass Valley Police Capt. Steve Johnson.
The death has been classified as suspicious, although there are no obvious signs of foul play, Johnson added.
While he was homeless at the time of his death, Rieg had maintained intermittent contact with his family and was employed, Johnson said. Family members reached out to police after they learned that he hadn’ been showing up to work, and had been unable to reach him on his cell phone, Johnson added.
By Liz Kellar | Staff Writer
A man suspected of operating a butane honey oil lab is facing multiple felony charges after an explosion lifted the roof off his Grass Valley apartment Monday night.
Kyle Patche, 31, sustained “significant” but not life-threatening burns and remained Tuesday at a regional burn center, said Grass Valley Police Capt. Steve Johnson. Upon release, Patche will be charged with illegal manufacturing of a controlled substance, two counts of felony child endangerment causing injury, causing a fire that caused injury or death and causing a fire of an inhabited structure, Johnson said.
A 12-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy also were in the residence at the time of the explosion, Johnson said. The boy had relatively minor injuries and was treated and released at the scene, and the girl was transported to a Sacramento-area trauma center, treated and released later that night. Both children are in the care of Child Protective Services, he said.