# Manhunt and death of Merle Wakefield

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/manhunt-and-death-of-merle-wakefield
> Updated: 2026-10-21T09:30:00.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2.

In late September 2026, authorities in San Diego launched an intensive search for Merle Wakefield, a 69-year-old convicted sex offender. Wakefield disappeared after his GPS monitoring device entered ‘tamper mode’ while he was working at an Amazon processing center in Rancho Bernardo.

Local officials and supervisors criticized the state’s oversight regarding his conditional release. Following his disappearance, police believed he had discarded his cell phone and fled in a vehicle.

On October 21, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office reported that Wakefield’s body was discovered in a riverbed near Fairmount Avenue and Montezuma Road, approximately 20 miles south of his last known location. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the remains, though the cause and manner of death remain pending autopsy results.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-21: Fugitive sex offender Merle Wakefield found dead in San Diego

Convicted sex offender Merle Wakefield, who fled after tampering with his GPS monitor in September, was found dead in a San Diego riverbed.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/fugitive-sex-offender-merle-wakefield-found-dead-in-san-diego

### 2026-09-28: San Diego authorities hunt convicted sex offender after GPS monitor removal

San Diego authorities are searching for Merle Wakefield, a convicted sex offender who fled after removing his GPS monitoring device while working in Rancho Bernardo.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/san-diego-authorities-hunt-convicted-sex-offender-after-gps-monitor-removal

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Cite as: Manhunt and death of Merle Wakefield. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/manhunt-and-death-of-merle-wakefield