Toxicology reports of Fallon man will take time

Churchill County Sheriff Ben Trotter said Monday toxicology tests performed on a Fallon man who was found dead last week will take upward to six weeks to determine the cause of death.

Last week, Trotter said Joey Pahl, 33, was reported missing since December but was discovered Thursday near an abandoned vehicle that became stuck in the soft mud. Trotter said 4-wheelers discovered a vehicle belonging to Pahl about 20 miles north of Fallon and 2 miles east of U.S. Highway 95

“Joey’s shoe impressions leaving the vehicle were still visible in the muddy sand walking due east from the vehicle toward the Stillwaters,” Trotter said. “He walked about 500 yards.”

Trotter said Pahl’s trail indicated he may have been disoriented; however, the sheriff said no foul play is suspected. According to Trotter, Pahl was deceased for an extended period time before the body’s discovery. The last time anyone heard from Pahl was Dec. 10, and he was reported missing six days later. Trotter said the CCSO sent out ATLs and critical reach flyers

“There was no information about where to start looking for Joey for some time,” Trotter said. “CCSO Investigators checked pawn sites, hospitals. Eventually, a phone ping on Joey’s phone came back.”

Trotter said the ping occurred on Dec. 10 off the Rattlesnake Hill cellphone repeater. He also said Charlie Gomes flew on two different occasions, once west toward Hazen and Soda Lake and the other northeast of Fallon in the Indian Lakes area. Trotter said neither flight located Pahl nor his vehicle.