A state-designated sexually violent predator who went on the lam in Rancho Bernardo last month while on supervised release from custody was found dead this week in a Talmadge-area riverbed, authorities reported Tuesday. The body of Merle Wakefield, 69, was discovered at about 9:30 a.m. Monday off the 4800 block of Fairmount Avenue in San Diego, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. A ruling on his cause of death was on hold pending autopsy results. Related stories Rancho Bernardo Sep 26 Rancho Bernardo community concerned for safety as search for sexually violent predator continues San Diego County Nov 21, 2024 Judges order ‘transient releases' for 2 San Diego County sexually violent predators Crime and Courts Feb 14, 2025 Two sexually violent predators released to separate San Diego County homes He had been at large since early on the morning of Sept. 25, when he managed to remove his mandated GPS tracker and escape from his job, which he was working under the auspices of the California Conditional Release Program. Law enforcement sources close to the case tell NBC 7 he was working at an Amazon processing facility in Rancho Bernardo. CrimeStoppers was offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to his arrest. A felony warrant has also been issued for Wakefield’s arrest for failure to register as a sex offender. Wakefield was convicted of lewd acts on a child in 1981 and rape in 1990. After serving several years in prison and in a state mental hospital, Wakefield was given transient conditional release. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less