Missing man's body found in Soap Lake

The body of a Colville tribal member who went missing late last month was recovered from the waters of Soap Lake on Friday evening, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday morning.

Kayakers found the body of Michael Edwin Clark, 60, and notified authorities. Deputies recovered the body and Coroner Craig Morrison’s staff confirmed the body’s identity, a Sept. 2 release for GCSO said. An autopsy conducted Saturday was inconclusive due to the condition of the remains, but no obvious signs of trauma were found.

Clark’s remains have been returned to this family.

The Colville Tribal Police Department said Aug. 20 that Clark had been released from Grant County Jail July 26, but his family had not heard from him. He had reportedly last been seen at Soap Lake between Aug. 4-5, the GCSO tweeted at the time.

The Tribal Tribune reported that Clark suffered from dementia and that although he did not own a vehicle, he was known to walk long distances no matter what the weather was like.