Provo police attempt to identify body found in Rock Canyon

PROVO — Police will have to rely on fingerprints and dental records to identify a man believed to have fallen to his death in Rock Canyon.

The body of an unidentified man was found about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday by a hiker. Investigators estimate the man had been dead for 24 to 48 hours when he was discovered.

The man, who appeared to be in his 20s, was not carrying a wallet, and police have not found any vehicle that can be tied to him in the area. There also has been no report of a missing person in Provo, said Provo Police Sgt. Brandon Post.

Based on the evidence at the scene, however, detectives believe the man fell between 150 feet and 200 feet, hitting the side of the cliff wall at least once on the way down.

A cell phone battery was recovered at the scene. Investigators were back in Rock Canyon Thursday to see if they could locate the phone that went with it, along with items of clothing that may have fallen off the man during the fall.

Because of the great distance the man was believed to have fallen, finding the missing items was like "looking for a needle in a hay stack," Post said.

The man was wearing blue basketball shorts and a blue T-shirt, Post said. He had long, straight, shoulder-length black hair.

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