The man charged with murdering another man and dumping his body on a remote logging road in Ariel in 2024 declined a plea deal Tuesday from prosecutors and may face trial.
Joseph Klimas, 46, of Vancouver, was expected to plead guilty Tuesday afternoon but declined and requested a trial instead.
Klimas signed a speedy trial waiver, which was accepted by presiding Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Thad Scudder.
According to arresting documents, Klimas is accused of shooting Cesar Reyes, 46, of Portland, whose body was discovered on Nov. 11 on a logging road close to the 6500 block of Lewis River Road in Ariel, near Lake Merwin.
It is unclear what type of deal Klimas was offered, but he has a scheduled hearing on Nov. 18, with a possible jury trial starting on Jan. 12.
According to court documents, Klimas is facing first-degree murder with a firearm enhancement, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful disposal of human remains.
Klimas became the prime suspect after he allegedly called an inmate facing a murder charge and claimed he had “done something similar” to the inmate’s charge. Klimas also mentioned a person named “Pelon” in the conversation, which is a nickname for Reyes, court records show.
Klimas’ arresting documents say he told authorities he went to a home on Nov. 11 in the 1150 block of Whalen Road in Woodland with Stewart to purchase a firearm, and Reyes was at the site.
Text messages between the inmate and Klimas the day before Reyes was discovered, reportedly show Klimas offering to buy a gun and a full clip of ammunition from the inmate, with plans to meet in the same location in Woodland where the inmate said the murder took place.
The inmate said Klimas shot Reyes because Reyes was sharing details he wanted to keep private, court documents show.
Klimas’s co-arrestee, Andrea Rechelle Stewart, 51, of Vancouver, pleaded guilty July 3 to first-degree felony rendering criminal assistance. She could serve between six and 12 months in the Cowlitz County Jail, as well as 36 months of community custody.
Authorities say they also placed her phone in the same location as Klimas’ device from the night of Nov. 10 to the morning of Nov. 11, when the body was discovered.
Stewart is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on Oct. 14.
