Family of missing Navajo man launches fundraiser after he is found dead in Power County

POCATELLO — Authorities have confirmed the identity of the man who went missing while traveling through Idaho for work and was found dead last month near Massacre Rocks State Park.

Now, his family is asking the public for help and for care as they work to bring him home and to clarify misinformation surrounding his death.

Kee Ray Begay Jr., 53, a Navajo man originally from Many Farms on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona, was reported missing on Dec. 21 while traveling from Montana to a new job in Idaho. Begay had been working as a sheet metal worker in Bozeman and was en route to Jerome when he disappeared, according to his son, Kalin Anderson-Begay.

Begay was living in San Manuel, Arizona, with his family at the time of his death.

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Begay was last seen driving a black 2014 Dodge Avenger and last spoke with his wife on Dec. 21. His cellphone later pinged near Interstate 86, around milepost 28, in southeastern Idaho, and authorities subsequently located his vehicle in the Snake River near Massacre Rocks State Park.

Begay’s body was discovered Dec. 28, according to the Power County Sheriff’s Office, which said the investigation remains ongoing and no additional details have been released.

“For almost two weeks, my family and I searched endlessly, hoping for his safe return,” Anderson-Begay said in a public statement. “This has been an incredibly difficult time as we process the loss of a beloved father, son, brother, uncle and friend.”

Anderson-Begay said some early news coverage inaccurately described his father, prompting the family to speak out.

“Some news coverage of my father has been misrepresenting him, labeling him as a Montana man or simply as a dead man,” he said. “This GoFundMe is not only a fundraiser, but also a clarification of who my dad truly was. He was a loving, hardworking, and proud Navajo man from Arizona.”

Anderson-Begay said his father was a skilled sheet metal worker, a proud member of the SMART Union, and was known by those closest to him for his strength, resilience, and lighthearted sense of humor.

While it’s unknown exactly what happened as family and officials seek answers, Begay’s family said their primary focus remains on honoring his life and ensuring he is remembered for who he truly was.

“My father was not the kind of man to leave anything broken,” Anderson-Begay said. “I know he would want us to heal.”

The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses and the cost of transporting Begay’s remains back to Arizona so he can be laid to rest at home. Anyone wishing to donate to the family can do so here: Help Bring Kee Ray Begay Jr. Home