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Local Crime Scenes and Missing Persons

Coconino County Sheriff BadgeSedona AZ (November 20, 2014) – Within the last several days, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office personnel in north central Arizona responded to numerous unrelated deaths, including two probable suicides (one in the Fredonia area and one in the Blue Ridge area), a First Degree homicide and arrest, a search for an overdue hiker on the San Francisco Peaks later found deceased, and a death in a vehicle as the result of asphyxiation. While these are not unusual cases, the demands placed on available personnel and resources are intense due to the concentrated timeline.

To keep the public informed, the SedonaEye.com is providing the following recap of the above cases, along with updates related to CCSO responses and investigations:

In the geographically larger and majority rural Coconino County, many are unaware of the personnel and man hours required for missing people searches or to investigate criminal activity. The need for multiple agencies and volunteers, specialized equipment with its unique operators, challenging environmental conditions such as inclement weather or steep and rugged terrain, and operational periods that last several days or weeks require skilled coordination.

Most missing person searches involve two-prong approaches: the physical search and a criminal
investigation to determine whether foul play is involved. Additionally, the remoteness of many areas requires hours before an investigator can access the location. To facilitate scene first responses, CCSO works closely with other public safety agencies through mutual aid agreements. This may involve stabilizing scenes until the agency with appropriate jurisdiction assumes control of the scene or investigation.

Names of the deceased may be withheld by investigators notifying next of kin. Names of persons who commit suicide are not typically released because the case is rarely charged criminally. However, to advise the public of the general circumstances and quell any concerns of foul play, the subject of a missing person’s report found deceased is often released.

Recapping last week’s larger investigations:

November 7, 2014 At approximately 8:00 in the evening, CCSO received a call from a camper advising that he found a vehicle in the area of Woods Canyon Lake, just off of Forest Service Road 169, near Flagstaff, Arizona. According to the caller, an unresponsive adult male was seated in the driver’s seat and was slumped over the steering wheel. The Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to the Forest Lakes community and U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement responded to the scene. Upon his arrival, the Deputy examined the victim and determined he was deceased. Sheriff’s Detectives responded and found a suicide note. Detectives believe the man intentionally ingested a lethal combination of alcohol and prescription medication. The victim was the sole occupant of the vehicle and investigators have not found any sign of foul play. The deceased man was Craig Tiger, 42, of Fountain Hills, Arizona, a former police officer. Detectives and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office are continuing this investigation.

November 11, 2014 Scott Olson left his Hart Prairie area cabin after informing neighbors that he was going for a meadow hike with his dog. Scott’s relatives reported him as a missing person the next afternoon. CCSO initiated an around the clock ground and air search Wednesday evening. Two days later at approximately 11:00 in the morning, with searchers and support staff numbering more than fifty individuals, Olson’s body was discovered on the northwest side of Humphrey’s Peak at an elevation greater than 10,000 feet. His faithful dog had remained near his master. During this intensive three day (43 hour) ground and air search, CCSO received assistance from Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit, the Grand Canyon National Park Service, Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue groups based out of Phoenix and Kingman, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Community Emergency Response Team and the Nature Conservatory, and many friends and relatives of Scott. Preliminary information indicates that Scott Olson possibly suffered a heart-attack. The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office is continuing this investigation.

November 13, 2014On November 13, 2014, CCSO Northern District Deputies received a report of a suspicious abandoned vehicle near the Jolly Sink area on the North Kaibab National Forest. A deputy from the Fredonia Substation responded and with the help of a local rancher located a deceased man, Christopher Douet of Maurice, Louisiana, at the bottom of a cliff close to the car. The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division responded to investigate the scene and information points to suicide. The incident continues to be under investigation by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

November 15, 2014Richard Hollman, 71, called and reported shooting his wife at a home west of Seligman, Arizona. Department of Public Safety Officers and Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were first on scene. They detained the suspect and confirmed the victim, Carol Sheansy, 62, was deceased until CCSO arrived on the scene to investigate. Detectives obtained a search warrant for the residence and located a weapon believed to be used in the homicide, along with over 20 pounds of high grade marijuana. Hollman is being held in the Coconino County Detention Facility on a First Degree Murder charge with a bond of $1,000,000. This crime is still under investigation.

November 14, 2014At approximately 11:30 a.m., CCSO received a call from a Lake Mary area camper about a pickup truck parked near a City of Flagstaff water tank. The camper saw an unresponsive adult male slumped over in the truck’s cab. Deputies and Guardian Medical Transport were dispatched to the scene and found a man, William King, 59, of Page, Arizona, deceased. At this point in the investigation, detectives believe King was living in his truck and using a propane powered heater inside the enclosed cab. King was the sole occupant of the vehicle and investigators have not found any signs of foul play. While initial information indicates the victim asphyxiated, detectives and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office are continuing the investigation.

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For the best Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

4 Comments

  1. Robert Coody says:

    of Flagstaff AZ appreciated reading this

  2. Appreciates this article.

  3. Will Wood says:

    Like this info.

  4. Thought this was good. Appreciate the rest of the story. Like your approach.

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