Body near Ridgefield triggers homicide investigation

The discovery of a man’s body in a field near Ridgefield early Wednesday morning has prompted a homicide investigation by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Loggers arriving for work just before 6 a.m. in the area near Northeast 179th Street and Northeast 15th Avenue discovered the body in the middle of an open field about 100 feet south of 179th Street and called 911, according to the sheriff’s office.

The man appeared to have died of homicidal violence, Clark County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Fred Neiman said. But detectives believe the man — an adult Caucasian — wasn’t killed in the field, which is just about a half a mile from Interstate 5.

“From appearances, it seems like the body was dumped here, rather than the death having occurred at the scene,” Neiman said.

Detectives with the sheriff’s office major crimes unit spent Wednesday morning taking a 3-D image of the scene and walking around the field, searching for anything that may help them determine what happened, Neiman said.

“They’re considering any and all contingencies,” Neiman said. “It is right off the freeway, so that could play into where he was dumped.”

The body was found near a dirt path carved out by the logging crew, which travels though the field to get in and out of its job site, Nieman said.

“It was not here (Tuesday) morning,” Neiman said.

The body did not have any obvious decomposition, detectives said. The Clark County Medical Examiner will determine an exact cause of death.

Detectives have tentatively identified the man, but are not releasing his name yet because of the ongoing investigation, Neiman said. Suspect information was not available, Neiman said.

As detectives continue to develop leads, they are asking for anyone who has information to come forward. Those with tips are asked to call the sheriff’s office at 360-397-6079.