You are here

Home » Remains Found At Great Smoky Mountains National Park Belonged To Missing Tennessee Man

Remains Found At Great Smoky Mountains National Park Belonged To Missing Tennessee Man

Share
By NPT Staff - September 6th, 2012

Remains found last month in Great Smoky Mountains National Park have been identified as those of a Tennessee man who went missing in the park back in March.

Park officials said Thursday that the remains discovered on August 21 off a walkway located along the Newfound Gap Road about a mile from the Sugarlands Visitor Center are those of Michael Giovanni Cocchini. The Nashville man was last seen by friends at the Walmart in Sevierville on March 18.

Investigators worked with the Sevier County Medical Examiner’s Office, Knoxville Regional Forensic Center, and the Knox County Sheriffs Forensic Unit to make the official identification through dental records.

While a park release said investigators have no way of determining an exact cause of death, "evidence found at the scene indicates that Cocchini had intentions of taking his own life. Foul play is not suspected."

Comments

Submitted by admin on September 7, 2012 - 1:22pm.

I am curious as to why he wasn't found during the initial search. I know that the forest is very dense, but I've read that his body was found within 3/10 of a mile of the trail. What am I missing here?


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.