From The Arizona Republic of November 21, 2011 by Kelsey Pfeffer
The body of a man who was reported missing in Coconino County was found hanging from a billboard on the side of a highway on Monday. Detectives say there is a strong possibility that his death was suicide.
Sheriff’s officials said the body of Stephen Dale Sterling, 39, who was the subject of a missing person’s search, was found by a motorist driving west on Interstate 40 near Buffalo Ranch Road. The driver called police after seeing a person hanging from a billboard on the north side of the highway.
Coconino County Sheriff’s Office
Stephen Dale Sterling
Sheriff’s detectives who were in the field searching for the missing man identified the body as Sterling’s. The Medical Examiner’s Office said the body appeared to have been hanging for hours.
Sterling had last been seen at a campsite near Winona.
The investigation of Sterling’s death continues. Detectives say that there is a strong possibility that he took his own life.
