EUGENE, Ore. – A private investigator found the body of a missing Eugene man more than a mile from where searchers located his vehicle two months ago, according to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office.
LCSO officials said Michael Trevor Owen Naughton, 42, was reported missing Feb. 19. Lane County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue found his vehicle that night in the Gate Creek area. SAR continued searching with K9s, drones and helicopters from partner agencies. Since the initial search, SAR and detectives worked closely with a private investigator hired by Naughton’s family. Together, they covered miles of terrain and spent hundreds of hours searching.
On April 21, the private investigator told the sheriff’s office he found Naughton on an abandoned spur road more than a mile east of his vehicle. The road was littered with downed timber from the Holiday Farm fire. SAR volunteers responded with deputies and spent several hours clearing a trail with chainsaws to conduct the recovery. There is no indication a crime occurred…