Months after discovery of Joshua Easley’s body on Ben Lomond, trail goes cold
Dave Martin looks over at his wife Lucinda Martin as she talks about their son Joshua Easley Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, at the Standard-Examiner offices in Ogden. Easley's remains were found Saturday on Ben Lomond Peak more than a year after he went missing in 2014.
Lucinda Martin listens as husband Dave Martin talks about their son Joshua Easley Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, at the Standard-Examiner offices in Ogden. Easley's remains were found Saturday on Ben Lomond Peak more than a year after he went missing in 2014.
Lucinda Martin sits next to her husband Dave Martin as they talk about their son Joshua Easley Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, at the Standard-Examiner offices in Ogden. Easley's remains were found Saturday on Ben Lomond Peak more than a year after he went missing in 2014.
OGDEN — Investigators may never know what happened to Joshua Easley, whose remains were found in a rugged area of Ben Lomond Peak 18 months after he disappeared, a Weber County sheriff’s spokesman said Wednesday.
After Easley, 25, disappeared on around April 21, 2014, his vehicle was found in North Ogden. Searches for him proved fruitless. Then a hiker discovered his remains on Nov. 21, 2015.
Easley, an Ogden native, was identified by dental records, but state crime lab reports were otherwise inconclusive, said Weber County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Lane Findlay. “There were no obvious signs of trauma,” he said. “The cause of death could not be determined.”
The forensics possibilities were degraded by the advanced decomposition of the scattered remains, Findlay said.
“I don’t think we’ve ruled anything out,” Findlay said. “It could have been anything from foul play to an accident to suicide. We just don’t know.”
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Easley’s parents, David and Lucinda Martin, said Tuesday, April 26, they’re frustrated by the investigation and believe their son’s death was not accidental.
“Definitely foul play,” David Martin said.
“There’s not a doubt in my mind,” Lucinda Martin added.
Joshua Easley, pictured here, has not been heard from since April 21. His family fears foul play may be involved. (Courtesy photo)
However, leads indicating potential foul play did not pan out, Findlay said.
“There was some talk with some informants that may have shed some light, but none of that info matched any of the evidence,” he said.
The St. George couple, formerly of Clearfield, initiated the investigation in April 2014 by filing a missing-persons report with St. George police, who worked with North Ogden officers after Easley’s vehicle was found. They said their son often visited friends in the Ogden area.
“We are trying to keep faith that the investigative agencies will follow through,” Lucinda Martin said.
But the couple said they’re disappointed by a lack of communication by authorities. They said they have been told nothing about the investigation since their son’s funeral late last year.
Findlay said the sheriff’s office’s main responsibility was recovery of the remains. The investigation into the disappearance was under the purview of North Ogden, St. George and the Weber County Attorney’s Office, he said.
North Ogden Detective Paul Rhoades, said Wednesday he was out of the office and had no immediate information about the investigation. Shane Minor, a county attorney’s investigator, said he discussed the case with his counterparts at the time but had no close role in the investigation. Efforts to contact St. George detectives were not immediately successful.
Findlay said the case remains open. “But unless something comes up or someone comes forward with some new information … We wish we had the answers to bring closure to the family, but because of the circumstances, we’ll probably never know exactly what happened.”
Lucinda Martin said she and her husband are not giving up.
“We’re still asking anyone with any info to contact us,” she said. “Somebody out there still knows what happened.”
The Martins can be contacted at 801 668-6210 or on Facebook.
You can reach reporter Mark Shenefelt at mshenefelt@standard.net or 801 625-4224.