The weeks-long search for Salvador Conejo-Pedraza, a West Wendover man reported missing last month, concluded with a somber discovery. The Tooele County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the body found in the Utah desert on July 10 was indeed that of the 50-year-old father, who had been missing since June 20. The body was located near Silver Island Loop Road, roughly 9 miles from where his vehicle was previously found abandoned, as per KSL.
Upon discovering the deserted white 1992 Isuzu Rodeo on June 22 on Leppy Pass Road just north of Wendover, a spokesperson for the Tooele County Sheriff's Office revealed that the vehicle was linked to Conejo-Pedraza, as reported by Gephardt Daily. The search efforts included the use of drones and canine units, and despite these extensive measures, it was DNA testing that ultimately enabled the identification of Conejo-Pedraza's remains.
"It just hurts, you know," Omar Cornejo, Conejo-Pedraza's son, told KSL in an interview. "I couldn't find him in time." His grief was palpable as he continued, "Not like this. He didn't have to go out like this."
While the Tooele County Sheriff's Office still has not disclosed the exact circumstances of how Conejo was discovered or the cause of his death due to the ongoing investigation, they have extended their sympathies. "We extend our deepest condolences to the Pedraza family during this difficult time," the TCSO said, as obtained by Gephardt Daily. They also requested respect for the family's privacy and further indicated that information will be forthcoming as the investigation progresses.
