Man Found Slain in Field Is Identified as French Tourist
A homicide victim found slain in a wheat field 55 miles northeast of San Francisco has been identified as a French tourist, police said.
Family members identified the body of Joel Bouyenval, a 45-year-old French citizen, at the Solano County coroner’s office Tuesday, according to the Sheriffs’ Department.
Bouyenval arrived at San Francisco International Airport around April 19, police said. He was last seen in the Lake Tahoe area, after touring San Francisco in a rented car with a companion.
The companion returned to France and reported Bouyenval missing to family members. The family contacted the French Consulate, which contacted the Missing Persons Bureau of the San Francisco Police Department.
Police were able to match Bouyenval’s physical characteristics with the corpse through a national missing persons system.
Solano County sheriff’s detectives found the body April 21. Authorities believe the motive behind the attack was robbery. An investigation is in progress.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.