John "Jack" Menardย 

A 71-year-old hiker missing for three days was found dead a few miles from a historic prison campground north of Tucson, authorities said.

John โ€œJackโ€ Menard set out on June 17 to trek a section of the Arizona Trail between Oracle and the Gordon Hirabayashi Campground but did not show up June 20 for a prearranged ride home, the Pima County Sheriffโ€™s Department said.

A multi-agency rescue team spent three days searching in Coronado National Forest and found Menardโ€™s body June 22 about 3 miles northwest of the campground, the department said.

Crews from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Cochise County Sheriffโ€™s Office, Pinal County Sheriffโ€™s Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection took part in the effort.

Authorities said the cause of death was not immediately known.


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Contact reporter Carol Ann Alaimo at 573-4138 or calaimo@tucson.com. On Twitter: @AZStarConsumer