Man's death deemed ‘probable suicide'

The cause of death of a 23-year-old Porterville man who was reported missing in late August and whose body was found Sunday near Success Lake has been listed as “undetermined probable suicide,” the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department reports.

According to a news release issued Wednesday, the investigation into the missing person case revealed additional information, leading authorities to believe that Gerald Noble’s death is a probable result of suicide.

Noble was reported missing on Aug. 24. Initially, the Sheriff’s Department reported that Noble had walked away from his home after an argument with his parents. On Wednesday, the department reported the family said he left under good terms before being reported missing.

“Additional information was later received that this did [argument] not occur,” stated a Sheriff’s Department press release.