An Arizona RVer who went missing while camping north of the Grand Canyon has been found, deceased. Russell Vinton, of Prescott, Arizona, failed to turn up for jury duty on October 8th. Vinton’s wife called authorities to report him missing. The call led to a chain of circumstances that ended with another man shot and killed by police hundreds of miles away. Only later did police realize the RVer had been murdered.
Missing RVer’s pickup used as weapon against police
When authorities received the missing person call that same day, they sent deputies to the Jacob Lake, Arizona, area where Vinton was reportedly camping with an unnamed friend. On arriving, they found Russell Vinton’s campsite, but his truck and travel trailer were missing. More concerning, some of Vinton’s possessions were still at the campsite, “suspicious in nature,” say investigators.
The next morning, Wednesday, October 9, Lake Havasu City, Arizona, police found Vinton’s missing pickup truck at a BLM camping area called Craggy Wash. The site is more than 350 road-miles from the Jacob Lake area. On arriving, a man inside the truck opened fire on the officers “without warning.” The officers took cover and returned fire. While bullets hit neither officer, both took injuries when the shooter turned the pickup into a weapon and crashed it into their police vehicle.
An official investigation report says, “The suspect in the truck then drove toward the detectives at a high rate of speed and rammed into their police vehicle. When the suspect got out of the truck, detectives continued to shoot, and the suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Officials identified the shooter as Patrick Neal Champion, a 61-year-old from Tennessee. At the time of the shootout, police were still unclear as to the whereabouts of the RVer, Russell Vinton, and his travel trailer. They issued another request for the public’s help.
Missing RVer had been murdered
As it turns out, Russell Vinton had already been found, but not identified. Up in the Las Vegas area, metro police had their own mystery to unravel. On Sunday, October 6, investigators found a body along Interstate 15 near Moapa—50 miles northeast of Las Vegas along a route that heads toward Utah. The then-unidentified body was that of a man who was said to have suffered trauma and gunshot wounds.
It wasn’t until Friday, October 11, two days after the Lake Havasu shootout, that Russell Vinton’s body was identified. His was the one found near Moapa. Officials have not yet identified Patrick Neal Champion as a suspect in Vinton’s murder. However, they are asking for help in finding Vinton’s RV. It’s a white, 2017 travel trailer, a Dune Sport “Man Cave” model. Authorities warn that the RV’s license plate may have been removed.
If you know something, contact the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-774-4523 or Coconino County Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.
##RVT1179b
We camped at Jacob Lake Sept. 20-21 and heard nothing about this story. And, we were in Las Vegas Sept. 27-29, but heard nothing about a murdered camper there either. I guess news about people being murdered doesn’t have a very long shelf-life in today’s 24/7 news cycle.
Read the dates
It hadn’t happened yet so that’s a pretty good reason.
One reason among many not to travel unarmed. We do not live in a safe society anymore. Way too many criminals and crazies out there.
Especially now with the entrance of so many illegal migrants and convicted criminals let free from other countries…We must be more careful, of course.
So the killer, Patrick Neal Champion, is an illegal migrant?
Where in Mara’s post does it state that Patrick Neal Champion was in illegal migrant? Get a life, David!!!
You’re misinterpreting David’s post.
Learn to comprehend what you read. Quit stirring up trouble bro.
This particular crime apparently has no involvement by illegal immigrants whatsoever.
Are you aware that the crime rate of illegal immigrants is lower than that of the general population?
Exactly. I’m never without my firearm while camping or hiking. The biggest threat we face in nature is man.
Deleted after rereading the article.
“Vinton was reportedly camping with an unnamed friend”? Where is the unnamed friend? Was he the murderer?
That was my original thought too. I wish we could hear what the actual connection is between the unnamed friend, and is he the one found in the pickup and/or murderer.
Kinda scary that the picture could be a match for my neighbor and friend’s son.
I’d post his picture but that would not be cool.
Thank you, Russ and Tina! Tragic and scary. Hopefully more details will emerge so readers can better understand how and why this happened. Have a great weekend, and safe travels!