Dad of 6 vanished from Arizona truck stop, cops say. His body was just found nearby
A father of six was found dead days after he vanished from an Arizona gas station and truck stop, authorities said.
The body of Beau Riddle, 49, of Layton, Utah, was found on Tuesday, July 26, in Littlefield, in the area where his abandoned truck and trailer were found, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team said in a Facebook post.
His body was found “near the bottom of a long drop off,” according to a news release from Paul Murphy, a spokesperson for the family.
The area is also known for extreme heat, the release states. Littlefield hit a high of 109 on July 22, the day Riddle went missing.
“I can’t believe we lost Beau this way, and it only shows how quickly we can lose the ones we love,” Beau’s wife, Kim Riddle, said in the release. “I’m grateful for everyone who has stepped up to support me and my family.”
Beau Riddle was pulling a trailer for his job from Utah when he stopped in a town near the Utah-Arizona border.
He told his employer he was having a nervous breakdown and was having issues with his truck because of the heat, a release from the family’s spokesperson says. Then he disappeared.
His trailer was found abandoned the following day and his truck was found on Sunday hidden behind storage trailers near the truck stop where he was last seen, the release says.
Riddle’s truck was found with items thrown inside it even though he was a typically organized person, his family says.
“Beau was a perfectionist and compulsively kept everything clean and in order,” Kim Riddle said. “Even when Beau is suffering from anxiety, he is still obsessed with keeping everything in place.”
Search dogs were used to look for the man on July 26, which led to the discovery of his body.
Authorities do not suspect foul play and a cause of death has not been determined, the sheriff’s office and the release state.
“I only wish Beau was here to see how many people love him, and we’re touched by his humor and willingness to help anyone in need,” his wife said in the release.
His family also started a GoFundMe to help get his body to Utah.
“We all loved Beau so much. You’ve never known a more charming, charismatic guy with a heart so big-he couldn’t always contain it. He will be truly missed by his wife, 6 children, mom and dad, brothers, family and so many friends, who were blessed to know and love him,” his family said on the page.
This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Dad of 6 vanished from Arizona truck stop, cops say. His body was just found nearby."
