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Vehicle belonging to missing Scottsdale Marine Jesse Conger found in eastern Arizona

Jesse Conger has been missing since August. Scottsdale police said his car was found in San Carlos.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Toyota Camry that belongs to Jesse Conger, the Marine who went missing last year, has been found, Scottsdale police confirmed Saturday. 

The Scottsdale Police Department said the car was located in San Carlos, about 105 miles from the city where Conger was last seen.

No other details were immediately released. The case remains under investigation. 

Jesse's sister Patricia Conger told 12 News that the car was found in eastern Arizona. 

Credit: Patricia Conger
Jesse Conger's vehicle, according to sister Patricia Conger. Photo via Patricia Conger with permission to use.

Sister: 'We’re very, very hopeful'

Conger was last seen on Aug. 14, at a Scottsdale apartment where he lived with his girlfriend. 

His family said he suffered from PTSD after years in the Marines, serving overseas in both Afghanistan and Iraq. 

“I knew that he had PTSD,” Patricia Conger told 12 News in October. “He’s had other times in his life where he’s been suicidal.”

RELATED: Dozens of volunteers continue search for missing Marine Jesse Conger

The search gained national attention. Bill Pulte, a millionaire and philanthropist, offered a $30,000 reward. Previously, a helicopter and two planes were used.

“We dread what we might find him out there," Patricia Conger said in October. "But we’re very, very hopeful that he’s just camping, lost track of time."

She also noted that her brother has been a big advocate of veteran mental health.

Conger is wanted in Utah

12 News learned in October that an arrest warrant was issued in September 2019 out of Utah for Jesse Conger.

Conger is wanted on one count of retaliating against a witness, victim or informant out of Utah, court documents showed.

According to Utah district court documents, a woman called police on April 19 to report her fear of Conger, who was described as her boyfriend. She said he had been drinking heavily the previous days and had access to multiple firearms. The documents said the girlfriend did not report that any crime had occurred that night. 

The woman also described Conger as a combat veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who self-medicates with alcohol and marijuana, has been violent, verbally abusive and controlling, threatened to kill her and himself and regularly pushes her for disagreeing or arguing with him. 

RELATED: Missing Marine Jesse Conger is wanted in Utah for allegedly retaliating against his girlfriend, documents show

The girlfriend requested a temporary protective order that same day, citing a long history of abuse and threats from Conger. She provided multiple text messages showing an apparent argument between the pair when she tried to end the relationship. 

Conger also allegedly threatened to kill her in the text messages. 

"Because once I start swinging at your life with my axe there will be no stopping me until you’re bloody and still," one of the text messages read, according to the documents.

"If you (expletive) me like this I will go next level crazy on your (expletive) the likes the world has never seen[.] So if you want to be stupid, be stupid…. There will be dire consequences.”

In May of the last year, Conger reported to police that the girlfriend assaulted him back in April, claiming that she had attacked him by throwing a water bottle at his head while he was sleeping because she could not find her computer.

According to KSL, Conger was supposed to appear in court on Aug. 29, two weeks after he went missing.  

The Utah County Attorney's Office tried to serve Conger with a summons, but was unsuccessful, court documents showed. 

A judge ordered Conger to be extradited to Utah. A bail was sent for $10,000.

RELATED: 

 Marine veteran deported for convictions related to PTSD, family says

A Valley man who never showed for service at Camp Pendleton found safe in Texas

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