Body of most wanted Guernsey Co. man found in creek
CAMBRIDGE, Ohio- The Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the discovery of a man’s body in a creek.
Detective Sergeant Bill Patterson said the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office received a call on Tuesday night from a man who was walking near Byesville Park and spotted a body half-submerged in the water.
The body was identified as 34-year-old Mark Cutlip of Cambridge, who was once atop the Guernsey County’s ‘Most Wanted’ list.
“Mark Cutlip was wanted for questioning in connection to an armed robbery that occurred the day that our deputies had contact with him. Mark was also wanted for a probation violation through the common pleas court and a bench warrant out of the Cambridge Municipal Court,” said Patterson.
Patterson said the robberies in question took place within the city of Cambridge. Cutlip was wanted for an alleged theft incident at a downtown pharmacy on February 22nd. Unrelated, he was also wanted as a suspect in an armed robbery at a residence on Columbia Court from March 1st, where he allegedly stole money, a knife and a cell phone.
Cutlip was last seen on March 2nd after he fled the scene of a traffic stop.
“A Guernsey County Sheriff’s deputy did conduct a traffic stop. During the traffic stop he was able to identify Mark Cutlip inside the car. Upon asking for backup, the vehicle fled from the scene and then Mark was able to flee on foot eluding the deputy,” said Patterson.
In a release, Guernsey County Sheriff Jeff Paden said “we believe he entered the flood water on the night of the pursuit (March 2nd) and didn’t realize where he was in relation to the creek. It is believed he drowned in the water and his body was not found until yesterday (March 28th).”
Cutlip’s body was removed from the creek with the the help of the Byesville Fire Department at which point he was positively identified by his tattoos.
The investigation is ongoing pending the results of an autopsy from the Licking County Coroner’s Office to determine the official cause of death.
