Markleeville, CA…On June 29^th the Sheriff’s Office was contacted by family members of a man who had been reported missing to another law enforcement agency on 6/27/11. The family felt the missing man may have come into Alpine County for a motorcycle ride. Units were dispatched the roads.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter was in the area for another incident and flew over the Monitor Pass areas after completing that detail. At 3:11pm. The helicopter reported seeing a motorcycle and a possible victim down off the side of the roadway. Upon arrival of Sheriff and Highway Patrol units, the victime was confirmed to be deceased.

The victim is Kurt Ernest Muench, age 41 from Carson City, NV. It appears he suffered fatal injuries when the motorcycle he was riding went approximately 130 feet down a steep embankment. The Alpine County Coroner will conduct an investigation into the exact cause of death and the California Highway Patrol will conduct their accident investigation.