YOUR AD HERE »

Body of Tahoe man, 49, found under 2-3 inches of snow

Kevin MacMillan

HOMEWOOD, Calif. — Authorities on Tuesday found the body of a 49-year-old Lake Tahoe man after conducting a welfare check at his West Shore home, an official said.

Authorities were called at about 11 a.m. Tuesday to the PDQ Market in Tahoma to investigate a vehicle that was “left unattended for several days in the snow,” Placer County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Dave Hunt told the Sierra Sun.

Officials determined via a license plate check that Todd Michael Borchardt, 49, of Homewood owned the car, and he lived in a home on the 6000 block of Emerald Circle in Homewood.



Once officers arrived there, no one answered the door. After authorities forced entry, they found Borchardt’s personal belongings inside, and things seemed out of place.

After speaking with neighbors who’d confirmed they hadn’t heard from or seen Borchardt in several days, Hunt said PCSO contacted the North Tahoe Fire Protection District to assist.



Borchardt’s body was soon found in the driveway, covered in about 2 to 3 inches of snow, Hunt said.

A cause of death is awaiting an autopsy, Hunt said, although no foul play is suspected.

“It didn’t look like … it wasn’t a shedding (of snow) from the roof or anything like that,” Hunt said. “We don’t have a cause of death; it’s currently a death investigation right now.”

The official cause of death is pending an autopsy.

The Tahoe region has been hit hard so far this year with snow storms; from Thursday to Sunday of this week, more than 7 feet of snow was recorded in some locations.

Further, temperatures have been below freezing every night in January.


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.