Portland police are continuing an investigation into the death of Michael Watts, a 37-year-old Eugene man and Freddie Mercury impersonator who was reported missing after leaving for Portland on May 1.
Watts’ body was found in the Willamette River, near the Fremont Bridge, on May 11 by deputies with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office river patrol.
Watts was known for his impersonation of Freddie Mercury, the late lead singer of the band Queen. Watts, who performed under the stage name “Freddie Hollywood,” was in downtown Portland to visit friends and discuss upcoming performances with a local venue when he went missing.
About 10 p.m. May 1, Watts and his fiancée had been talking on FaceTime while he was walking to his hotel, his sister Karlee Dash told the Oregonian. During the conversation, Watts appeared to be out of breath, and his fiancée asked him what was wrong. He mumbled something and then dropped the phone. The call was cut off and no one could get in touch with him after that. His credit card was not used, and later his phone and car were located in the area. He never returned to his hotel room, Dash said.
For two weeks, Watts’ friend and family desperately searched for him, Dash said. A $10,000 reward was offered for information that led to Watts’ whereabouts.
Fans created a Facebook page to spread the word, and they called Watts an “icon of the local queer community.” Fans searched downtown Portland and passed out flyers.
“We didn’t realize how much he was loved by the LGBTQ community in Portland, for his performances as Freddie Mercury,” Dash said. “It was all word of mouth, but apparently he was incredibly popular.”
At the time of his disappearance, the family was in shock. It didn’t seem possible that Watts would just vanish, Dash said.
“My brother is trained in martial arts, he was a stunt man for many years. Somebody couldn’t just take him; there would have been a fight,” Dash said. “He was a reliable person, too, not the kind of person that would just take off.”
Watts worked as a private security contractor in Eugene at Peace Memorial Hospital. He was engaged to a woman he had been with for 10 years, Dash said.
“Mike’s death was shocking and sudden,” Dash wrote in a GoFundMe page for Watts’ funeral expenses. “He was way too young and the family is beyond devastated and hurting right now. We cannot thank his friends and family enough for their endless work to help find my brother. The amount of well wishes and stories about Mike we have received has been overwhelming but also wonderful.”
On May 12, before the family knew Watts’ body had been found, Dash said there had been no evidence of foul play, but also no evidence to the contrary.
The Portland Police Bureau on Wednesday said no new information has been learned in the death investigation. A toxicology test takes 12 to 16 weeks, said spokesman Sgt. Kevin Allen. Any determination into the cause of death would come some time after that report, Allen said in an email to the Oregonian/OregonLive.
