A Cortez man who was reported missing has been found dead in northern Arizona, according to Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin.
The body of Ocean Christopher Rodd, 23, was discovered on Oct. 22 near a road between Kayenta and Tuba City on the Navajo Reservation.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office, Cortez Police Department and Navajo Nation Police Department.
No foul play is suspected in the death, according to Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin.
According to a Oct. 23 Sheriff’s Office report, “the death may be listed as undetermined by the medical examiner.” No signs of trauma or possible injury were found.
“It is believed possible that death was due to possible heat exhaustion/stroke because of dehydration,” according to the sheriff report. The time of death was undetermined.
Rodd had been reported missing by his family, and he was listed in the national missing persons data base Aug. 17, according a Cortez Police Department report. People he contacts regularly had not heard from him for a while.
The Aztec Police had reported seeing Rodd on July 28, according to the Cortez Police Department.
Rodd was a suspect in a Ford F-150 pickup truck allegedly stolen from a RV Park in Montezuma County Aug. 3, according to a sheriff report.
The stolen truck was found several miles from where Rodd was found in Arizona, and had been driven into a deep wash where it was stuck and partially buried.
The case remains under investigation, according to the Cortez Police Department.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Rodd to raise funding for funeral costs and to support his one-year old young son, Karston.
“Ocean was one of a kind and loved by so many,” states the GoFundMe memorial. “The sudden and unexpected loss of Ocean Rodd has left his family completely heartbroken. A life taken too soon. Ocean’s memory will live on in the eyes of his little boy. We all know he has a bright future.”
Funds raised beyond what is necessary for the memorial service will be reserved to support Karston and his education.
