UPDATE: Family confirms body found in Menifee field that of missing 64-year-old

UPDATED: Tuesday, Oct. 23, 7:15 p.m., With confirmation of victim’s identity, additional details.

MENIFEE — Authorities are investigating after a man’s lifeless body was found in a large, open, Menifee field earlier today. Family members later confirmed to RCNS that the body found was that of Rick Flasco, a 64-year-old, missing Menifee man. According to his family, Flasco had not been seen or heard from in more than a week.

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Deputies assigned to Menifee Police Station were dispatched to an open field south of Thornton Ave. and west of Murrieta Rd. about 11 a.m., after an area resident called 911 to report discovering a man’s body.

When deputies arrived they made access to the field from Thornton Ave., as well as Esther Ln., a small dirt road that exits onto Murrieta Rd. Officials were directed toward a small group of trees along the western edge of the field, and near the easternmost wall of the nearby Spring Haven housing tract.

Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials were later summoned and responded to the scene and took custody of the victim’s body around 2 p.m.

Riverside Sheriff’s spokesperson Deputy Robyn Flores later told Menifee 24/7 there were no signs of criminal activity and the incident was being investigated as an unattended death. Officials did not release the victim’s name at that time, citing the ongoing investigation.

A few hours later Deborah Hutchinson, who has been coordinating social media efforts to gather information about her sister’s missing husband, confirmed on Facebook that the body found in Menifee had been confirmed by officials as Flasco.

Hutchinson had first begun posting about Flasco’s disappearance on Oct 21, a full week after he had gone missing. By the next day, Hutchinson’s post had received countless offers from help from ordinary citizens as well as groups such as Sun City and Menifee’s all-volunteer Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Family member Deborah Hutchinson, who was spearheading a social media campaign aimed at locating missing 64-year-old, Rick Flasco, later confirmed Flasco’s body was found in a Menifee field just a mile and a half from where he was last seen at his home Oct 14. He had been missing nine days when his body was discovered.

“My sister’s husband Rick Flasco 64 yrs old, has not been seen since last Sunday Oct. 14 in Sun City,” Hutchinson explained in a social media plea for help. “He walked away from their residence without his wallet & phone.”

In that post, which had received hundreds of shares, comments, and offers for help as of this afternoon, Hutchinson said, Flasco’s wife was “very worried about him” and that the desperate family hoped someone may have seen him or knew his whereabouts.

Hutchinson later told RCNS that her sister, Flasco’s wife, “is devastated and in shock” over the realization that her missing husband’s body had been found and he would never be coming home.

“She thought when he first walked away that he was going to go blow off some steam and that he might be staying with a friend. She had reported him missing, but was giving him time to cool off,” Hutchinson explained. “Then one day rolled into another and that’s when I knew I needed help and reached out to the community.”

“The outpour of prayers and support has been incredible. Thank you to everyone who said a prayer, offered to help search, or took the time to read my post and look at Rick’s picture,” said Hutchinson. “The family appreciates all the offers for help and thanks those who assisted in searching for her family’s missing loved one.”

“Everyone please hug and tell your loved ones you love them. You never know what the day may hold,” Hutchinson concluded, saying, “My heart & prayers go out to the other man missing from Lake Elsinore and his family. May they find peace and answers soon.”

In an open message sent to RCNS for the community, Hutchinson personally thank those who were involved in the search for Flasco writing, “On behalf of Pauline, myself & my family, I would like to thank the members of “Whats up Lake Elsinore” & the community for their outpour of prayers, suggestions & concern for finding Rick.

I also would like to thank Community Emergency Response Team CERT for being involved. Thank you Jenna Broderson for referring my post to CERT. Thank you everyone that took the time to look at Rick’s picture and said they would keep on eye for him. We were hopeful & optimistic Rick would be found safe. I pray for all the families that are missing a loved one. May they find answers & peace soon.”

Anyone with information about today’s discovery is encouraged to contact Menifee PD at (951) 210-1000.

Body discovery led to speculation about two missing area men.

In the hours following today’s body being found news of the discovery raced across the Internet, with speculation running rampant that the body found possibly belonged to one of two missing area men.

The two missing men included Flasco and Samuel Selay, who was reported missing from the Lake Elsinore area Saturday, Oct. 20.

Selay was last seen around 1 p.m., and was believed to be kayaking on Lake Elsinore with a bright orange Lancer “sit in” kayak. He was last seen wearing dark workout clothing.

According to officials, Selay’s vehicle was later discovered near the lake by family members and deputies now believe he may have entered the water at Elk Grove Beach off Lakeshore Dr.

Lake Elsinore PD’s search for Selay is active and ongoing.

Anyone with information about Selay’s disappearance or who knows the missing man’s whereabouts is encouraged to immediately contact Investigator Klemp of the Lake Elsinore PD at (951) 245-3300. Callers can remain anonymous.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information is available.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, recently moved to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 14 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.