For family members and authorities, 2011 was a year of hurt and disappointment as four area missing-person cases ended in tragedy.
Former state trooper David Alan Lynch, of Numidia, was last seen by family members on Jan. 28. Four days later, Lynch's truck was found in a wooded area between Natalie and the entrance to the Roaring Creek Tract of the Weiser State Forest in Northumberland County.
Officials conducted a massive two-day search for Lynch, hampered by two winter storms that blanketed the area with a few inches of snow and freezing rain.
Thirty hours after his truck was found, the body of Lynch was found in forest property in Conyngham Township, Columbia County.
An autopsy showed no evidence of foul play, and it was ruled that Lynch likely died of exposure to the elements for an extended period of time. It was suspected that Lynch was using bath salts at the time.
Local police were soon busy with two other cases.
Shamokin City Police conducted a search for Justin Boyles, 31, of Shamokin, who was last seen at the Mount Royal Mini-Mart in Ranshaw on Feb. 3 using his girlfriend's credit card. Police said Boyles was involved in a car accident the day before and "bath salts" were found in his possession at that time.
Later that week, Coal Township Police began searching for Deborah Demshock, 42, of Excelsior, after she did not return home from work on Feb. 6 from Grandview Nursing Homes near Danville.
State police helicopters and regional units were deployed in both searches,without success
The two were found on Feb. 12, one mile and 40 minutes apart from each other. Police were called to an area behind the Anthra Plaza after two friends of Boyles conducted their own search and found his body at the bottom of the hill.
As police and emergency crews converged on the scene to remove his body, another call came in when a passing motorist reported an SUV at the bottom of a 50-foot embankment, off Route 901 a mile afrom Excelsior. The SUV matched the missing description, and Demshock's body was found inside.
Autopsy reports showed Demshock died Feb. 6, the cause of death listed as hypothermia due to the motor vehicle accident with a contributory condition of diabetes mellitus.
"In Deborah's case," county coroner James Kelley said, "it is believed she had a diabetic event, which caused her to lose control of her vehicle."
Boyles died because of hypothermia, due to acute mixed drug toxicity. Toxicology tests revealed a synthetic stimulant in his system, in addition to other drugs and medications.
In May, police started their search for Russel F. Hummel, 47, of Coal Township, in the Third Patch of Coal Township. He was last seen on May 8, dropping off his dog and some lottery tickets with his mother before leaving.
A relative reported Hummel liked to go into that area looking for scrap metal. Authorities found his vehicle and a flannel jacket he wore a half-mile away from the vehicle.
Hummel's body was discovered the next day approximately 200 yards from the road in a clearing near the Third Patch. A preliminary investigation showed that Hummel had committed suicide on May 8.
Recently, two individuals missing since Christmas Day, David "Diggy" Dascani, 31, and Kelley Gusick, 24, both of Shamokin, were found dead inside a partially-submerged Jeep in the Shamokin Creek in the Big Mountain area. An autopsy revealed both died from carbon monoxide poisoning.