Body found in Strait near Sekiu
Published 1:30 am Thursday, November 9, 2017
PORT ANGELES — A body found Wednesday floating in the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Sekiu is suspected to be that of Stanley Okumoto, a 79-year-old Kitsap County man missing since Sept. 18, Brian King, Clallam County Sheriff’s Department chief criminal deputy, said Thursday.
Okumoto’s truck was discovered shortly after his disappearance on state Highway 112 about 1½ miles east of where the body was discovered at about 1:25 p.m. Wednesday, King said.
The remains were too decomposed to make an immediate positive identification, King said.
An autopsy will be conducted on the body, and dental records also will be examined.
Okumoto was reported missing Sept. 19 after he left his home at about 11 a.m. Sept. 18 to drive to a barbershop that was closed, King said.
“Some articles of clothing may aid us in identification,” King said.
The proximity of the body to where Okumoto’s vehicle was found points to the remains being those of Okumoto’s, King said.
“We don’t know that, but certainly that’s where our investigation is taking us,” King said.
“We will prove or disprove that real soon, just based on the autopsy.”
The body’s discovery was first reported to the State Patrol.
Further information was unavailable this morning.
The Clallam County Sheriff’s Department is conducting an investigation of the discovery in conjunction with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Department.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
