On February 21, 2020, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office responded to a deceased individual located in an open park and ride area on State Highway 124, immediately adjacent to State Highway 16. Highway 16 is a busy state highway and is utilized as a main travel route between Amador County and Sacramento. The Sheriff’s Office identified the decedent as Philip Bruce Haney, who was living in his motorhome less than three miles from where his body was located.
Investigators from the Amador County Sheriff’s Office responded and assisted the patrol personnel who were already on scene. Investigators discovered Mr. Haney’s vehicle parked next to his body, a folding chair he appeared to collapse from, a suicide note on the dashboard of the vehicle, and a loaded .40 caliber Sig Sauer handgun with one spent shell casing near the gun. Investigators discovered what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the upper chest area of Mr. Haney. Investigators collected the evidence at the scene and responded to Mr. Haney’s motorhome in the 49er RV Park in Plymouth, CA. Investigators entered the motorhome and discovered it was clean and well-organized. Investigators found personal and financial paperwork arranged neatly on the kitchen countertop, some containing instructions for how Mr. Haney wanted his assets dispersed. While on scene, Investigators spoke with Mr. Haney’s neighbor who told them Mr. Haney appeared depressed lately and gave him his potted plants the day before, which was the last time he saw him. Mr. Haney’s motorhome and vehicle were towed to our evidence storage area and we requested the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Crime Scene Unit process both and gather evidence. The FBI responded on February 27, 2020, and assisted in this process, gathering numerous pieces of evidence to be processed by their laboratories.
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