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Man's death remains mystery Trip to California ends in tragedy at local campground By JILL BRISKEY WHITE CITY - The closer Michael Simpson got to his grandfather's body, the harder it was to breathe. Following the scent of death, Simpson, 27, picked his way over a rugged deer trail approximately a quarter-mile from a popular Fish Lake campground. The smell had intensified on the sunny afternoon of June 2, just as Simpson's dog Mickey began to bark at a clump of trees halfway down a steep embankment. "I had the sickest feeling in my stomach. I had found his bedroll, his clothes, his walking stick. I knew I was going to find him," Simpson recalls. Chanting, "What did you do? What did you do?" as if his grandfather could still hear, Simpson raced down the hillside and skidded to a stop in front of the decaying remains of a man. Before he panicked and ran for help, a single thought dominated Simpson's mind. "What in the world am I going to tell my Nana?" Inside her single-wide trailer on Gramercy Drive in White City, Marlo Lenzi was beyond fear. In the darkened home with sheets draped over the windows to aid her battle with bipolar disorder, Lenzi waited for her grandson, Simpson, to return. Although the Jackson County Sheriff's Department had planned a large search for her husband, Lawrence Lenzi, on June 3, the family couldn't wait. Marlo Lenzi last saw him on May 2. The family had been quarreling recently, Marlo Lenzi admitted, but it was just typical family squabbles. The family knew Lenzi as a private but deeply spiritual man who loved camping and travel. A former welder, Lenzi worked seasonally at Bear Creek Corp., Marlo Lenzi said. Lawrence Lenzi, 51, decided a solitary trip to visit family in Southern California would ease the stress, Marlo recalls. "He said he needed it, we all needed it," she said. "He's always been a wanderer. He hated confinement." With a hug, a kiss and a promise to call home in a few weeks, Lenzi drove away in his Mercury Comet sedan. According to Jackson County detective Dan Hobbs, the family did not report Lenzi missing until May 31. Marlo said she wanted to give Lenzi time to enjoy his trip. However, as the weeks passed, the worry increased. Over the phone, Marlo Lenzi discovered that nobody had seen or heard from her husband. That's when she called the police, she said. After taking the report, Hobbs was first able to confirm that Lawrence Lenzi spent the night of May 3 at the Medford Gospel Mission. A computer search indicated that Lenzi's vehicle had been impounded by the sheriff's department May 20 from a campground off of Highway 140, milepost 26, near Fish Lake. "We then realized something funny was going on," he said. On May 6, an unidentified, out-of-state resident camping near Fish Lake had told police a man arrived at the campground May 3, walked away from his vehicle and never returned. That vehicle belonged to Lenzi, Hobbs confirmed. The car was tagged, and a certified letter was sent to Lenzi's address - a general delivery White City post office box. The sheriff's department learned that Lenzi had served in the Navy. Investigators contacted the Veterans Affairs Domiciliary in White City, but were told Lenzi did not reside there. After the letter was sent, the car, which had reportedly been broken into, was impounded. Parking and camping in certain areas on federal land is a free, 14-day privilege and Hobbs said investigators assumed the man seen walking into the woods was planning an extensive camping trip. "It's common practice for people to park their cars and leave them," Hobbs said. Deputies didn't realize it was more than an abandoned car case until Lenzi's family reported him missing. On June 1, two deputies and a Forest Service worker searched the rugged landscape around the campground but did not locate the body. A larger search was planned Sunday, June 3. Hobbs said the department didn't have enough manpower to search earlier. An autopsy resulted in a positive identification, but failed to discover the cause of death. "There are no signs of foul play," Sgt. Rich Fogarty said. "At this point, the cause of death is unknown." Police speculate that Lenzi, who suffered from depression and attention deficit disorder, died in an accident or committed suicide. Results of a toxicology test are not yet available. However, the results of the test could be inconclusive because of the state of the decay, Fogarty said. In April, Lenzi reportedly attempted suicide by overdosing on drugs. "We don't know what happened," Fogarty added. "He could have fallen down, it could have happened to anybody." The keys to Lenzi's vehicle, a ring and his wallet were not found. Simpson said the sheriff's department should have tried harder to locate Lenzi after the camper made the report. He also said a better search should have taken place June 1. "I don't realistically think they could have done anything different. I don't blame one person," Simpson said. "But it wasn't my job to find him. I pay these guys to do it." Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.