Body Found Near ATV Trail Behind Hoyt Lakes Arena, No Foul Play Suspected

A 65-year-old man was found dead near an ATV trail behind the Hoyt Lakes Arena on March 24 after East Range Police responded alongside the Gilbert Police Department and the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office.

Officers arrived and located the man deceased. East Range Police Chief Jorden Klovstad said the department received notification around 11:30 a.m. The St. Louis County medical examiner's office was called to the scene and completed an investigation, police said. The three agencies coordinated before investigators pivoted to medical examiner determinations and next-of-kin notification.

Police said the man had been identified, but his name was not released. The next of kin has been notified. No cause of death was disclosed.

Investigators said foul play is not suspected and there is no ongoing danger to the public.

The discovery site sits directly behind the Hoyt Lakes Arena, placing it within a recreational corridor that sees both local and visiting ATV and snowmobile traffic in warmer months. The trail connects to the Iron Range's broader regional network, drawing riders from Hoyt Lakes and communities across St. Louis County. March 24 fell during the spring thaw, a period that tends to concentrate trail activity and can surface incidents in remote sections of these corridors that go unnoticed during deeper winter months.

When a body is found outdoors and no foul play is suspected, the standard process calls on the medical examiner to determine cause of death and verify identity before the decedent's name is publicly released. That sequence explains why the man's identity remains withheld even after family notification; official identification through the medical examiner's office is a required step before public disclosure.

Investigators asked anyone with information about the man's movements before March 24 to contact the East Range Police Department. Community members were encouraged to give law enforcement space as identification and cause-of-death determinations continue.