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Couple facing manslaughter charges after man, dog found dead on Lewis County trail

LEWIS COUNTY, Wash. — A 20-year-old Tenino man and a 17-year-old Rochester girl may be facing manslaughter charges in the death of a man whose body was found on a trail in eastern Lewis County this summer.

On Aug. 20, deputies were called to a report of a man’s body on the 101 trail, about 3 to 4 miles from Walupt Lake.

Lewis County deputies arrived and discovered a deceased man, later identified as 49-year-old Aron Christensen of Portland, along with his dog, which was also dead.

The next day, the sheriff’s office was called by a family member of a man who was later identified as a suspect. The caller told deputies they might have information about an incident at Walupt Lake.

During the police investigation, a 20-year-old Tenino man and a 17-year-old Rochester girl were interviewed. Deputies said the two told them they had left the Walupt Lake trailhead around 9 p.m. on Aug. 19 to hike to the Sheep Lake Campground to meet with the Tenino man’s family member.

The two told investigators that during the hike, they both heard growling and saw the eyes of what they though was a wild animal. The man said he was fearful and fired a single gunshot toward the animal.

Shortly after, they checked the area and found the dead man and dog.

The two said they continued to hike but took the wrong path and did not leave the woods until the next day.

The sheriff’s office has not said how the victim died, though an autopsy was performed on Christensen on Aug. 26 and the cause and manner of death were determined. That cause of death led the sheriff’s office to refer charges of first-degree manslaughter and first-degree animal cruelty for the 20-year-old man and 17-year-old girl to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office.

Forensic testing is being conducted and additional details are being withheld as the investigation continues, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

“I know there are a lot of friends and family of Mr. Christensen who are eager for answers involving his death,” said Sheriff Rob Snaza. “There still continues to be unanswered questions in this case. Our investigators are diligently trying to address, but (Wednesday’s) notice of cause and manner of death has brought us forward to this point of initially referring the charges.”

Anyone with information about the victim’s death is asked to call the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office at 360-748-9286 or Lewis County Communications at 360-740-1105.

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Posted by Shayne Herrera on Monday, October 24, 2022