Vancouver man arrested in connection with 2015 Long Beach slaying

Detectives from the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Vancouver man in connection with the 2015 slaying of Jeffrey Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

Charles Joseph Watts, 43, who was arrested late Friday, is facing allegations of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. Watts’ bail has been set at $1 million for each charge, the sheriff’s office said.

Beach, who was from Kent, was in Long Beach over the Fourth of July in 2015 weekend for a softball tournament. According to previous reports, he was attacked the night of July 3 and left in an area of sand dunes. Beach was taken to a Portland area hospital but later died of a traumatic brain injury.

In 2020, Beach’s family put up billboards throughout Vancouver offering a $36,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. The family believed the suspects or others with information about the case lived in the Vancouver area.

Although the case had gone cold, the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office said new leads were developed during a 15-month investigation that ultimately led to Watts’ arrest.

The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate and asks anyone with information to call the tip line at 360-875-9300, ext. 2847, or email pcsoinfo@co.pacific.wa.us.