A 68-year-old Kalispell man was found dead in his van in the Walmart parking lot Monday afternoon.

He apparently had been dead for several days.

The man, identified as Randy Felt, died of natural causes according to Flathead County Undersheriff Dave Leib.

The initial emergency call, for a man in a green Chevrolet van who didn’t appear to be breathing, came in at 1:47 p.m. Monday, and responding officers found Felt with blood coming out of his mouth and ears.

Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset said such a delay between the death of a person in a vehicle and locating the person is rare.

“This is pretty infrequent, just because in most places a vehicle that is parked for some period of time is very noticeable,” Nasset said. “However, with it being summertime and with campers coming in and out of the parking lot there, it was not as conspicuous as it would have been somewhere else.”

Nasset estimated that officers respond to calls of people being found deceased, usually in homes, once or twice each month. There was a call of that nature on Monday along with the discovery of Felt.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.