Convicted offender found dead after removing GPS monitor in San Diego

Merle Wakefield, 69, was found dead Monday in a San Diego riverbed, ending a weeks-long search after he removed his GPS monitor and disappeared while working in Rancho Bernardo on Sept. 25. Authorities identified his body, and an autopsy will determine the cause and manner of death. Wakefield had been on California’s Conditional Release Program since November 2024 after convictions for sexual offenses involving a child and forcible rape. The investigation remains active, and officials have not released further details.