Person of interest in rape case found dead

William Riley Baldwin, the DeBorgia man sought for an alleged rape in Mineral County, was found dead on Friday.

According to a press release distributed by the Mineral County Sheriff's Office, his body "had been located and is deceased." The sheriff's office was informed by Idaho State Patrol. 

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A Montana man, who is a person of interest for an alleged rape that occurred in Montana, is at large in Shoshone County after he eluded deputies last night by driving his truck through a creek, according to a news release.

William Riley Baldwin, 37, of DeBorgia, Mont., a town with a population of 69 people as of the 2000 census, fled from deputies after they attempted to stop him along Interstate 90 near the Gondola District at milepost 64 at roughly 5:37 p.m. on Wednesday.

Deputies received an attempt to locate call from the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, who said they were investigating a possible rape that occurred in their jurisdiction and that a person of interest in the case was traveling westbound on I90 toward Idaho, according to a press release from the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office.

The deputies were unable to determine if Baldwin was the driver of the silver Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with Montana license plates 542385A that matched a description on the original call.

“Deputies initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle near milepost 64 of I90 to identify the driver, but before deputies could make contact with the driver, the vehicle fled,” according to the press release.

The suspect truck then drove through the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River on the north side of I90 near Gondola Rd.

The water level in that section of the river is roughly 28 inches at some points.

However, due to safety concerns, deputies terminated the pursuit of the suspicious vehicle that had apparently driven up a very steep mountainside in the area, the press release said. 

The vehicle was located a short time later, but the driver had fled the scene on foot and was not identified, the Sheriff's Office reported on its Facebook page Thursday.

The Mineral County Sheriff’s Office is attempting to retrieve a warrant for Baldwin’s arrest as of Thursday. 

Shoshone County deputies, meanwhile, are continuing their search for Baldwin throughout the day Thursday so they can question him. 

Baldwin is described as 5'9" tall and 150 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes.

If anyone should see Baldwin, deputies said not to attempt to make contact with him, but call 911 and report his location to the sheriff’s office immediately.