On 9-3-14 Paul Merrill left his residence in Belmont, CA for a trip to Mt. Shasta in his silver 1956 Mercedes 190SL (CA/EZX296). Merrill was last seen at a gas station in McCloud, CA on 9-4-14. Merrill was reported missing by his family to the Belmont Police Department and the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office. A Silver Alert was issued by CHP as well as BOLOs for Merrill and the vehicle. Siskiyou County Search and Rescue spent several days searching for Merrill and the vehicle.
On 10-2-14 at 2106 hours, a reporting party called the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office to report finding a silver Mercedes on a logging road in a remote area of Shasta County north of Big Bend. The reporting party had been hunting in the area when he discovered the vehicle. Patrol deputies were able to get to the vehicle with the help of the reporting party. Deputies were able to confirm the vehicle was Paul Merrill’s Mercedes. Deputies checked the area and the vehicle for any sign of Merrill, but due to darkness and the rugged terrain, they left the area. Deputies from Shasta County Search and Rescue were flown to the vehicle by a CHP Helicopter. A search of the vehicle and area showed no sign of Merrill. There are no signs of foul play at the vehicle. The search is ongoing.
UPDATE: On 10-4-2014, Shasta County Search & Rescue located unidentified human remains. The remains were turned over to the Shasta County Coroner’s Office for further investigation and identification.
– Press Release
