Missing Hikers Found Dead, Locked in an Embrace

A California couple in their early 20s who went missing at Joshua Tree National Park in July were found dead this week, locked in an embrace.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said 20-year-old Rachel Nguyen and 22-year-old Joseph Orbeso of Orange County were found Sunday, Oct. 15.

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The sheriff’s dispatch was called at 1:50 p.m. by a park ranger who found their bodies in an area inaccessible by vehicles. Deputes made it to the scene, which “was described as a steep canyon to the far north of the Maze Loop Trailhead.”

Deputies called for detectives, but since it was the end of the day, further investigation had to wait until the following day. On Wednesday and Thursday, the two bodies were identified as the two hikers, who had been reported missing on July 28. The autopsy revealed they both died from gunshot wounds.

“Based on evidence located at the scene, detectives believe Orbeso shot Nguyen, then shot himself,” police said. “The investigation into Orbeso’s actions remain under investigation.”

The couple was reported missing after the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station was contacted by a bed and breakfast owner. The next day, their car was discovered. The search continued until Aug. 6, when it was scaled down to smaller search teams working on weekends.

Although the circumstances of their death remain under investigation, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Cindy Bachman told ABC7 that detectives think Orbeso and Nguyen thought they couldn’t survive any longer. “Investigators say it appeared they were rationing food, and they had no water,” Bachman said.

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“They have nothing to suggest that Joseph had any intent to harm Rachel, just that they probably found themselves in a very dire situation,” Bachman continued. “They were lost, they were in a bad area there, and their resources were either almost gone or gone, again, they were in a very desperate situation.”

Orbeso’s father never gave up on trying to find his son and his girlfriend. He told ABC7 that the discovery of their bodies brings pain and closure.

“I feel that we have closure and we know we found them. That was our main goal was to find them,” Gilbert Orbeso said. “Hope they can rest in peace now.”

Photo credit: Twitter / @abc7robmcmillan