Missing endangered Gainesville man found dead

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 51-year-old Gainesville man who was previously listed as a missing endangered person was found dead Wednesday afternoon.

Police said their preliminary investigation revealed that Larry VanTassell's death was likely a suicide.

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VanTassell was found at an apartment in the 1000 block of Northwest 21st Avenue. Police said an investigation revealed that VanTassell had a verbal sublease of the apartment, which is why there was no record of him with the apartment office.

VanTassell's parents told police he lived a secretive lifestyle, which made locating his home extremely difficult. VanTassell's parents only knew the complex by sight, and his apartment was not discovered until his parents traveled to Gainesville and drove around with detectives looking for the apartment, police said.

VanTassell is a combat veteran and on Friday called his parents and told them goodbye, police said.