Nikki Kuhnhausen
David Bogdanov, 25, appears in Clark County Superior Court Wednesday on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the disappearance and death of Nikki Kuhnhausen, a Vancouver transgender teen whose remains were discovered earlier this month near Larch Mountain.
The suspect in the death of a Vancouver transgender teen made his first appearance in Clark County Superior Court today following months investigation and discovery of the teen’s remains earlier this month.
David Bogdanov, 25, made his first appearance Wednesday, Dec. 18, facing a charge of second-degree murder. Bogdanov was arrested the day before in connection to the disappearance of Nikki Kuhnhausen, who was 17 when she went missing in June. Her remains were discovered close to Larch Mountain by a citizen Dec. 7, investigators say.
According to Vancouver Police Lt. Tom Ryan, one of three officials who spoke at a press conference today, the department received a report of Kuhnhausen missing June 10 from her mother. Ryan said that Kuhnhausen lived with friends in Vancouver and lost contact with her roommates after leaving with a male, later identified as Bogdanov, in the early morning hours of June 6.
Ryan said the mother told police she and Kuhnhausen rarely went more than a day or two without contacting her. Following the report, investigators were able to use warrants on Kuhnhausen’s social media to identify Bogdanov as who she left with the last time her roommates saw her.
A release from VPD stated that cellphone records and social media data from Kuhnhausen and Bogdanov were used to make the connection. After months, Bogdanov confirmed the connection himself in an interview with investigators, Ryan explained, stating he took Kuhnhausen to a residence in the county.
After she told him she was born biologically male, Bogdanov stated the revelation made him uncomfortable and he asked Kuhnhausen to get out of his vehicle and she walked away. According to Bogdanov, that was the last he saw of Kuhnhausen.
Ryan said the investigation turned up a number of inconsistencies with Bogdanov’s story. While that case was worked, a skull, later identified as Kuhnhausen’s, was discovered. Clark County Search and Rescue did an extensive two-day search of the scene, collecting a number of items of evidence and human remains — Ryan noted the area was “extremely steep, heavily wooded and (had) a lot of underbrush.”
Based on the location of the remains and earlier obtained evidence, investigators attempted contact with Bogdanov again on Dec. 17. He declined to give any further statements and at that point was arrested, Ryan said.
Vancouver Police Sgt. Jeff Kipp, part of the department’s major crimes unit, said that it would be up to the prosecutor’s office to determine if Kuhnhausen’s death would be considered a hate crime.
“It certainly may be,” Kipp said, though ultimately that wouldn’t be a decision made by police. Ryan said investigators believed Kuhnhausen being transgender played a part in the alleged killing but couldn’t call it a “targeted” attack at that time.
Ryan noted the investigation was ongoing when pressed for answers on whether or not any other charges would be filed in relation to the case, with reporters asking if anyone else associated with Bogdanov would receive charges.
“There’s still a lot of follow-up to do,” Ryan said.
