Atwater cold case from 2012 killing ‘remains a mystery,’ investigators say

The Merced County Sheriff’s Office is looking for help in a cold case involving the killing of a 21-year-old Atwater man.

A 2012 autopsy determined gunshot wounds to be the cause of death of Bryan Sanchez, who was found in an orchard near South Highway 59 and Dickenson Ferry Road on Nov. 21 of that year, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

His death “remains a mystery,” the Sheriff’s Office said Thursday in a news release. He was last seen in Atwater on Nov. 16, 2012.

A property manager found his body while he was doing a routine check of the orchard and called the Sheriff’s Office, investigators have said.

The news release from Thursday said Sanchez was diagnosed with bipolar and obsessive compulsive disorders. He was described as having the mental capacity of a teenager, the release said.

Investigators are requesting the assistance of the public. Anyone with information can contact the Sheriff’s Investigation unit at 209-385-7472.

This story was originally published September 6, 2018 at 9:20 AM.