Dead body found on South Mountain trail in Phoenix identified
The 911 caller told a dispatcher that Richard Fletcher, 61, left around 5 a.m. and contact was lost around 2 p.m. when his phone's battery ran out.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 25: People gather and watch the sunset from South Mountain Park amid the city's worst heat wave on record on July 25, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. While Phoenix endures periods of extreme heat every year, today marked the 26th straight day of temperatures reaching 110 degrees or higher, a new record amid a long duration heat wave in the Southwest. Extreme heat kills more people than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined in an average year in the U.S. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Police identified the man who was found dead Saturday on a South Mountain trail in Phoenix.
The 911 caller told a dispatcher that Richard Fletcher, 61, left around 5 a.m. and contact was lost around 2 p.m. when his phone’s battery ran out, according to the Phoenix Police Department.
Officers responded around 5:12 p.m. near National Trail and located Fletcher’s car at the trailhead near Pima Canyon Road.
A cyclist located Fletcher’s unresponsive body and authorities pronounced him dead.
Police said there were no immediate signs of foul play or trauma.
The medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of death, but detectives said his condition and the scene “were consistent with a heat-related or medical event.”
Because the investigation went into the night, airlifting Fletcher’s body from the trail was postponed until Sunday morning.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s David Veenstra contributed to this story.
This is an updated version of a story originally published on July 25, 2026.
Related
UMOM program sees surging demand for 24/7 summer heat shelter
Gap Factory, Ann Taylor Factory, Sierra coming to Desert Ridge
Westbound Interstate 10 reopens near Buckeye after crash
2 West Valley industrial buildings sold in record-breaking deal
3-year-old boy hospitalized after submersion at hotel pool near Camelback Mountain
Chandler police arrest man accused of neglecting elderly mother who later died
Comments
1 Comments
Very sad end for this person. Maybe it was a fall or other incident that incapacitated him. If not, another situation of a 60+ person taking an unnecessary risk in extreme heat?