The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that it has identified a person found dead near Flagstaff in October 2020.
Authorities have identified the victim as 56-year-old David Clark Wilkinson. Sheriff’s office investigators and the Coconino County coroner’s office determined that the individual was a murder victim.
“Analysis of DNA samples from January 2023 linked the victim to a specific family tree, one member of which could not be identified or explained,” the statement said.
Wilkinson’s body was found in a shallow grave near a lava cave off Route 180 north of Flagstaff. At the time of discovery, the victim’s body was decomposing and his identity was unknown.
“David was known to have been in northern Arizona prior to the discovery of his body, and missing person leaflets were issued to locate him,” the statement said.
Officials also said Wilkinson was known to have visited Phoenix and Prescott frequently between 2019 and 2020. The statement added that Wilkinson may have traveled with his dog in the 1997 Toyota Paseo.
“He is believed to have camped in Prescott National Forest and Coconino National Forest and may have been close to other campers in those areas,” the statement said.
Anyone with information that may be helpful in the ongoing investigation, or who had contact with Wilkinson several months before his death, is asked to contact the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.
