Missing Reggae on the River attendee found dead below 35-foot cliff

A Mendocino County man who disappeared after attending Reggae on the River was found dead below a Highway 101 cliff Tuesday, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said. 

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Jose “Johnny” Mandujano, 40, of Willits was found at the bottom of an approximately 35-foot cliff near Leggett, according to a Wednesday news release from the sheriff’s office. His vehicle reportedly crashed along the highway early Sunday morning.

Mandujano was reported missing after he failed to return home from the music festival. According to a GoFundMe organized by his wife, Jessica Clark, his family tracked his phone to the tow company holding his badly damaged vehicle, learned of the crash and searched the surrounding area into the night. 

Willits police continued investigating Monday before requesting help from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team. A planned Tuesday morning search was canceled following reports that Mandujano had been located near the crash site and needed emergency medical assistance. 

Cal Fire personnel descended the terrain and found Mandujano dead at the bottom of the cliff, authorities said. 

Mandujano leaves behind his wife, two daughters and a son known as “Little Johnny,” according to the fundraiser. It described Mandujano as the family’s primary provider and said donations would help cover funeral expenses and living costs. 

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He had been attending Reggae on the River, a three-day music festival held Aug. 14-16 at Humboldt County Line Ranch in Piercy, along the Eel River. Founded in 1984, the festival has grown from a local fundraiser into a longstanding Northern California reggae event that has attracted thousands of attendees, according to its website.

The sheriff’s office has opened a coroner’s investigation. An autopsy is being scheduled, and Mandujano’s cause and manner of death have not been determined. 

Anyone with information can contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at 707-463-4086, option 1, or its anonymous tip line at 707-234-2100. Information related to the missing person investigation can also be provided to Willits police at 707-459-6122.