Deceased male found in a camping tent in North Clark County

On Monday (Sept. 12) at about 8:10 a.m., the Clark County Sheriff’s Office responded to a suspicious circumstances call in a rural part of Clark County east of Chelatchie Prairie off US Forest Service Forest Road 54. A female flagged down a passerby in a vehicle stating she needed help because her boyfriend was unresponsive and possibly deceased in a tent at their campsite. The passerby called 9-1-1.

Deputies responded to the area and the female led them to the area where they had been camping off a forest road. The female was cooperative throughout the investigation. The female reported to deputies that her boyfriend had possibly been setting tripwires and traps around their tent the day before. 

As the deputies approached the tent to check on the condition of the male, they saw what they believed to be an improvised explosive device set around the tent. Based on this information, members from the Metropolitan Explosive Disposal Unit (MEDU), Southwest Washington Regional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), and Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) responded to the scene.

A MEDU robot was able to confirm that a deceased male was inside the tent. MEDU spent several hours clearing multiple suspicious devices from the tent and surrounding areas to allow CCSO personnel and a Medical Examiner’s Office Investigator into the tent to recover the deceased. The area was secured overnight and further checks of the surrounding area were conducted for additional devices. 

No names are being released at this time. This incident is still under investigation by both the Sheriff’s Office and Medical Examiner’s Office.

Information provided by Clark County Sheriff’s Office.