Watch CBS News

Missing Man Who Was Misidentified By LA Coroner As Dead Found Safe

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) –A 27-year-old man who was misidentified by the Los Angeles County coroner as dead last month has been found safe.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported Thursday that Adam Michael Buckley, who suffers from schizophrenia, was found safe at around noon Tuesday by Los Angeles Airport Police. He has been reunited with his family. No further details were disclosed.

LA Man Who Was Misidentified as Dead Found Safe
An undated photo of 27-year-old Michael Buckley. (Courtesy: Buckley family)

On July 2, a burned body was found in a cistern in the area of 220th Street East and East Avenue F in Lancaster. In August, the body was erroneously identified by the coroner as Buckley.

Buckley's mother, Angela Winters of Santa Clarita, told CBS2 that she received a call from the coroner's office telling her that her son was dead.

"I was horrified," Winters told CBS2 earlier this month. "I was terrified that something like that had happened to my son. And I was consumed with his last moments and what they must have been like."

Then, as the family prepared for a celebration of life, Winters received a second call from the coroner in late August admitting it had made a mistake. The coroner's office released a statement stating it had falsely identified the body as Buckley and apologized to his family and to the public.

Buckley had actually been arrested in Torrance for vagrancy and transferred to the Twins Tower Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. He was in jail when the body was identified. He was released from custody on Aug. 28 and remained missing until Tuesday.

It is unclear if the coroner has positively identified the remains that were found in Lancaster.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.