Crime & Safety

Man Found Dead Inside Truck East of Renton Identified

The truck belonged to a Renton man who was reported missing on Thursday.

Update: 9:30 p.m.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the man found in the truck as Valiant Carlton, 54. Cause of death was multiple fractures due to blunt force injuries to the head, torso and extremities, with the manner of death listed as accident.

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Original story:

A man was found dead in unincorporated Maple Valley in a truck that belonged to a missing Renton man.

Find out what's happening in Rentonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Family members reported a 54-year-old Renton man missing on Thursday after he didn't return from work on Wednesday this week. They utilized his cell phone GPS to locate his pickup down a steep, heavily wooded ravine about 200 feet off Cedar Grove Road.

The missing man’s family called 911 summoning deputies and aid to the scene.  Firefighters found a man, who had died, partially inside the truck.

The King County Sheriff's Office is not confirming that the man found was the reporting missing person.

Major accident reconstruction detectives spent about seven hours investigating the circumstances surrounding the truck leaving the roadway.  It took two large tow trucks several hours to extract the pickup from the ravine. 

Due to privacy concerns, police generally cannot use cell phone information to locate missing persons unless they suspect an imminent danger to the person or suspect foul play.  Family and friends of missing persons have the ability to access missing people’s cell phone GPS without the same protections that people have from privacy intrusions from law enforcement. 

The King County Medical Examiner is expected to identify the man in the truck and determine his cause of death. 


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