WHITE SALMON — Skeletonized human remains in a wooded area near the 200 block of Bates Road Sept. 28 by a private citizen have been positively identified, said Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer in a press release.
“A scene investigation was conducted by the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol Crime Scene Response Team,” said the press release. “At this time the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office and the Klickitat County prosecutor / coroner are working to identify the decedent, and determine the cause and manner of death.”
The human remains were transported to the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office for examination by a forensic pathologist.
“On Oct. 3, Sondra Lentz contacted the Klickitat County Prosecutor/Coroner’s Office,” said the press release. “She informed the prosecutor’s office that her son, Gary A. Zosel, 41, disappeared on or about Dec. 18, 2021, and at that time was living in the Snowden area of Klickitat County."
Klickitat County Sheriff Office Detective Sergeant Erik Anderson contacted Lentz for a follow up interview. Lentz informed Anderson she last heard from son (Zosel) via text message on Dec. 18, 2021, at 0618 hours, in what was a routine message. She said she normally heard from him every couple of days, but she did not hear from him after he texted her on Dec. 18, 2021.
“The Klickitat County Prosecutor’s Office was able to obtain dental charts and X-rays of Gary A. Zosel,” said the press release. “These records were sent to the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office, for evaluation by a forensic odontologist. On Nov. 29, Detective Sergeant Erik Anderson was notified that the human remains were positively identified as Gary A. Zosel.”
The identification was made through the assistance of the Klickitat County Coroner’s Office, forensic pathologist Dr. Martha Burt of the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office, forensic anthropologist Dr. Andrew Seidel of the King County Medical Examiner’s office, and forensic odontologist Dr. Kyle Tanaka, consultant with the Washington State Patrol Missing / Unidentified Persons Unit.
“I want to thank everyone involved that assisted Detective Sergeant Erik Anderson with the investigation that resulted in the Human Remains being positively identified as being Gary A. Zosel,” Songer said.
The investigation is ongoing. Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office is requesting anyone who has information about Zosel’s disappearance and / or death, contact Anderson at 1-509-773-4455 or erika@klickitatcounty.org.
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