On October 6, 2024, the body of a 66-year-old Caucasian male, Russell Thomas Vinton, was discovered near the Hidden Valley Road off-ramp of Interstate 15, south of Moapa, Nevada. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a report of a deceased person at approximately 7:30 a.m. and found Vinton with signs of trauma and multiple gunshot wounds.
Vinton, a resident of Prescott, Arizona, had been reported missing two days later, on October 8, after he failed to appear for jury duty.
The investigation into Vinton's disappearance began after he was last seen on October 5 at a campsite in the Jacob Lake area, southwest of Page, Arizona. Deputies from the Coconino County Sheriff's Office found his campsite abandoned, with his truck and travel trailer missing. The presence of suspicious items at the scene raised concerns for his well-being. His wife had reported him missing on October 8, stating he was on a camping trip.
A significant development in the case occurred on October 9, when police in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, located Vinton's gray 2017 GMC Sierra truck near Craggy Wash. As detectives approached the vehicle, the occupant, identified as 61-year-old Patrick Neal Champion of Tennessee, opened fire on them. The detectives returned fire, and Champion was killed at the scene. During the confrontation, Champion also rammed the truck into a police vehicle, causing minor injuries to the officers.
Following the identification of Vinton's body, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office in Arizona took the lead in the homicide investigation, with assistance from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Authorities are still searching for Vinton's missing white 2017 Man Cave travel trailer with Arizona license plate 5LA50N, though it is believed the license plate may have been removed. The investigation into the connection between Champion and Vinton is ongoing.
