The Clearwater County Sheriff's Office has closed its investigation into the death of University of Idaho Dean Paul Joyce after toxicology results showed no alcohol in his system.
Joyce, 57, dean of the UI's College of Science, was found dead April 23 inside his submerged car at the bottom of the boat ramp at the Dworshak Reservoir's Big Eddy Marina.
According to the sheriff's office, Joyce left the High Country Inn near Ahsahka, Idaho, around 10:30 p.m. April 22 for his motel room in Orofino.
Larry Forney, a UI distinguished professor and close friend of Joyce, said Joyce had dinner there and spoke with faculty members involved in bioinformatics and evolutionary studies, one of Joyce's areas of research interest.
"Mr. Joyce was not familiar with the area and was given directions on how to get to Orofino," according to the sheriff's news release.
At Old Ahsahka Grade and View Point Road, Joyce turned left instead of right, according to the release, and traveled about 2.5 miles to the marina and boat ramp on the Reservoir.
An aerial view of the park indicates that getting to the boat ramp required making a nearly complete circle in the parking lot, similar to what would have been needed to get back on the road to return to Ahsahka.
While Joyce's submerged Toyota Prius was first seen around 6:30 a.m. Saturday, April 23, by a group of fishermen launching their boat, he was not reported overdue until mid-afternoon and the location of the car was not known by authorities until about 5:20 p.m., when the fishermen returned from their trip and contacted police.
The Clearwater sheriff said Wednesday the investigation is now closed and confirmed the autopsy's preliminary finding that Joyce's cause of death was accidental drowning.
UI had named Joyce one of its top five candidates for vice president of research and economic development the Friday before his death.
Shanon Quinn can be reached at (208) 883-4636, or by email to squinn@dnews.com.
