LAKE COUNTY ? One year after Nice resident Michael Eugene Fausnaugh, 39, was found dead in a dirt turnout along Highway 29, the investigation is still not resolved.
A pair of construction workers who stopped to tighten down the load in the back of their truck found Fausnaugh”s body in the grass near a fence along the highway”s southbound shoulder on the afternoon of March 22, 2007.
The men reported the sighting at the nearby juvenile hall, and Lake County Sheriff”s Department deputies launched an investigation at the scene ? milepost marker 515 north of Mockingbird Lane ? that closed Highway 29 between the Nice-Lucerne cutoff and Highway 20.
“We haven”t determined if we can file murder charges yet,” chief deputy district attorney Richard Hinchcliff said. “It”s being reviewed to see what if anything we should charge.”
Hinchcliff said the death is not being called a homicide, but is classified as a “suspicious death.” Hinchcliff said he was unable to finish reviewing the case himself a few months ago, and the case was assigned two weeks ago to deputy district attorney Gary Luck.
“There may be further investigation that needs to be done, and that”s one of the things Gary will determine. The initial investigation was finished several months ago, and it”s been matter of us being able to review it fully and completely and do something with it,” Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said he does not have an estimate of how long the review will take. He added that he was unable to finish the review himself because of the time involved in prosecuting other cases.
Three suspects were arrested in connection with Fausnaugh”s death, and then were released March 29. No charges were filed.
An LCSD press release dated March 28, 2007 says, “Witnesses described seeing Fausnaugh with what appeared to be significant head injuries and in the company of ? three suspects at the Middle Creek Campground on Elk Mountain Road in Upper Lake.”
The press release goes on to say that witnesses saw the three suspects put an injured Fausnaugh into a vehicle and drive away, reportedly to seek medical help, the evening before his body was found “dumped” along Highway 29.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com
