MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: Lieutenant Anthony Eberhardt
Release Date: June 21, 2019
Release Time: 9:30 AM
Body Found in the Mokelumne River
(Mokelumne Hill, CA) On June 20, 2019, at about 2:30 PM, the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the Mokelumne River near the inlet of Lake Pardee for a deceased white male. Rangers from the East Bay Municipal Utilities District who had been continuing with search efforts made the discovery. Calaveras County Sheriff’s Detectives were dispatched along with the Sheriff’s Marine Safety Unit to investigate the scene and to recover the decedent.
The deceased male has not been positively identified, however, Sheriff’s Detectives tentatively believe that the human remains are that of David Gordon Johnson. David Johnson was originally reported as a missing person to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, June 5, 2019.
A motorcycle which had been ridden by David Johnson was located at the Big Bar River Access near the town of Mokelumne Hill on June 7, 2019. Prior to the discovery of the body, Sheriff’s Detectives pieced together circumstances and evidence which suggested that David Johnson may have entered the Mokelumne River and become the victim of accidental drowning.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death and to positively identify the male subject. The investigation is on-going.
