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Missing Sexually Violent Predator Found Dead in San Diego Riverbed After Search
Authorities said the 69-year-old was found dead after a monthlong search, and the cause of death remains under investigation pending autopsy results.
- On Monday, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office announced that Merle Wakefield, 69, was found dead in a riverbed near the 4800 block of Fairmount Avenue in San Diego.
- Wakefield had been missing since Sept. 25 after removing his GPS device while working at an Amazon processing facility in Rancho Bernardo; Liberty Healthcare personnel notified authorities when they discovered the abandoned tracker.
- Designated a sexually violent predator by the state, Wakefield was on supervised release since November 2024 under the California Conditional Release Program following 1980 and 1991 convictions for rape and lewd acts with a child under 14.
- The San Diego County Medical Examiner positively identified the body and will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death, while officials stated the investigation remains active with no additional details released.
- Law enforcement agencies, including the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Task Force, had actively investigated leads following his disappearance, while CrimeStoppers had previously offered a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to his arrest.
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Missing child sex offender found dead in Southern California riverbed
A convicted child sex offender who went missing after cutting off his GPS monitoring device was found dead in a Southern California riverbed. Merle Wakefield, 69, was convicted in 1980 and 1991 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old and rape by force. He had been on conditional release since [...]
·Los Angeles, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources18
Leaning Left2Leaning Right6Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution43% Center, 43% Right
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources are Center, 43% of the sources lean Right
43% Right
14%
C 43%
R 43%
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