Body of Michael Bayne discovered after four-day search

A Community's Worst Fear Confirmed: Michael Bayne Found Dead in Mesa

For those of us following the search for missing Tempe resident Michael Bayne, the news we hoped would never come arrived late Friday night.

Bayne, 32, was found dead in Mesa on February 20, just four days after vanishing from his Tempe condo near the Mesquite Circle and Curry Road area, not far from the eastern entrance to Papago Park. The death investigation has since been handed over to the Mesa Police Department, with his body discovered near the Center Street and McKellips Road area.

The story that gripped the Valley began unfolding on February 16. Bayne called in sick to work that morning, and a neighbor's Ring camera captured him leaving his apartment around 9:40 a.m. He never returned. When he failed to show up for work the following day, his employer contacted his sister Brittany, who filed a missing persons report.

What followed was an enormous community response. Dozens of friends and volunteers flooded the East Valley, posting flyers, organizing search parties near Country Club Drive and McKellips Road, and following up on the last known ping from his phone on Tuesday evening. Bayne's friends described him as a beloved member of the community with a wide social circle. Adding urgency to the search was the fact that Bayne, a 6-foot-4 man weighing 215 pounds, lives with Type 1 diabetes and relies on medication to manage the condition.

Tempe Police spokesperson Jessica Ells expressed condolences to Bayne's family and asked for patience as the investigation moves forward. A cause of death has not yet been released.

The Bayne family and the many volunteers who searched tirelessly deserve our deepest respect. This is the kind of community response that defines the Valley at its best, even when the outcome breaks our hearts.

Sources: Fox 10 Phoenix | AZ Family | ABC15 | 12 News | KTAR