Missing man's body found in mountains

SANDPOINT - The body of a Bonner County man reported missing last month was discovered in the Cabinet Mountains on Tuesday.

Philip Anthony Patterson was last seen on April 6, according to the Idaho State Police missing persons clearinghouse.

Sheriff's officials received information on Monday that Patterson might be in the Van Dyke Loop Road area in the remote upper reaches of the Rapid Lightning Creek drainage, Bonner County Sheriff's Lt. Ror Lakewold said.

Detectives followed up on the tip and discovered a fire-damaged Nissan Altima Patterson was thought to be driving, but Patterson was nowhere to be found.

The newly-formed Sandpoint detachment of Priest Lake Search & Rescue was called in on Tuesday to conduct a more extensive search.

"We found the body within about two to three hours of initiating the search," Lakewold said.

The body of Patterson, 56, was discovered in a heavily wooded area. It appeared Patterson was bushwhacking by hand through the woods, Lakewold said.

A cause of death has not yet been established and an autopsy is pending, as is a toxicological examination.

Preliminary evidence suggests Patterson may have succumbed to exposure. Intoxication may also have factored into the death, Lakewold said.

"The body is giving us no reason to believe there's foul play," he said.

The fact that the Nissan sedan had been gutted by fire initially fueled suspicion that Patterson may have been a crime victim and the fire was set to destroy evidence.

However, Lakewold said vandals could have torched the vehicle. It could have also caught fire after becoming stuck and damaged on the mountain road.

"That's one of the heavy things weighing on our investigation right now," Lakewold said of the burned-out Nissan.

Patterson did not live in that area of Bonner County and detectives are still investigating what he was doing there.

Lakewold gave kudos to the Sandpoint detachment of PLSAR for its help in conducting the ground search.