For the week of June 13 - June 19, 2001

Valley man dies in Nevada fall

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Wood River Valley resident Mason Mitchell, 36, died in Las Vegas, Nev., on June 2 following a fall from a parking garage.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant Ken Hefner said Mitchell’s death appears to have been a suicide. His body was found about 2:30 a.m. at the base of the four-level garage.

A Portland, Ore., native, Mitchell had lived in the Wood River Valley since the 1980s, working primarily as a cook. Local friend and fellow guitar player Peter Chaffee said music had been his passion.

"He was a wonderfully caring person," Chaffee said. "A lot of people are going to miss him around here. He had a kind word for everyone."

One of Mitchell’s former employers, Nicola Potts, owner of the Coffee Grinder in Ketchum, also spoke fondly of Mitchell, calling him a "kind and gentle person and a wonderful asset to the community."

 

 

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