Game warden and K9 locate body of missing Blanchard man

SHIRLEY — Game Warden Alan Curtis and his K9 Sig located the body of a missing Blanchard man at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28.

Clayton Burton, 66, had left to go fishing May 23 along the East Branch of the Piscataquis River. His wife was away when he left and when she returned on May 27, she could tell that he had not been home for several days so she notified the Maine Warden Service. His wife also provided details about where her husband likes to fish.

Utilizing the information provided, Game Wardens Troy Dauphinee and Jeremy Kemp were able to locate Burton’s ATV near a bog off the old railroad bed that runs from Blanchard to Shirley in the middle of the night on May 27.

The next morning game wardens returned to the bog area and with canoes and an aircraft searched the area and found Burton’s kayak and his fishing gear in two different areas along the south shore of the river in Shirley. Several warden service K9s and handlers were called into the area and Curtis and K9 Sig located Burton not far from where his fishing gear was located.

The state medical examiner’s office was notified, and Burton was transported to the Lary Funeral Home.