Justin Quinn Lobdell, the Black Mountain man who vanished on Halloween night, was found dead Tuesday just before noon, about a quarter-mile down the trail from the Pine Gap Trailhead in Pisgah National Forest. The discovery came after more than 100 searchers combed the Linville Gorge area that morning, capping a two-day search that began after his car turned up near the trailhead over the weekend.
A Two-Day Search That Began After Lobdell’s Car Was Found
Lobdell was reported missing to the Black Mountain Police Department on the evening of Nov. 2, according to 828newsnow.com. Police said he was last known to be in Marion on Halloween evening, driving a black 2023 Hyundai Elantra. For eight days, his whereabouts remained unknown until an off-duty Mitchell County deputy spotted his vehicle at the Pine Gap Trailhead on Nov. 8 and contacted emergency services, the outlet reported.
That discovery set off an intensive search effort in the rugged terrain of Linville Gorge. Crews had been searching the area since the car was spotted at the trailhead on Sunday, according to WLOS. The station reported that more than 100 searchers were in the gorge Tuesday morning alone, looking along the trail and in the surrounding area for any sign of Lobdell.
Body Found Near the Trailhead, Sent for Evaluation
The search ended Tuesday when Lobdell was found dead just before noon, roughly a quarter-mile from where his car had been located days earlier. Burke County Emergency Services said his body was transferred to the medical examiner's office for further evaluation, the same station's report notes. As WCCB Charlotte reported, the Burke County Sheriff's Office and the Black Mountain Police Department are expected to release additional information as it becomes available.
The U.S. Forest Service said an autopsy will likely be conducted to determine the cause of death, according to WSOC-TV. No further details on the circumstances of his death have been released.
