Citing “obvious” errors in the investigation, the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office this month decided not to press felony charges against Ethan M. Asbach, 20, of Tenino, the primary suspect in the August 2022 deaths of Aron Christensen, 49, of Portland, and his blue heeler puppy, Buzzo.
The two were found on Aug. 20 along a trail near Walupt Lake, south of Packwood. The following day, Asbach told deputies with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office he “shot a dog” and subsequently found Christensen’s body with a bullet hole in his side on the night of Aug. 19.
The bullet inside Christensen was later matched with the gun Asbach reportedly used at the time.
Since much of the case information came to light in November, when the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office first referred charges against Asbach and the prosecutor’s office first sent those charges back for more investigation, frustration has steadily grown and been expressed by Christensen’s friends and family, county residents, and the general public.
So far, protesting at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center hasn’t changed the outcome of the case. On Sunday, the final day of the 2023 legislative session, protestors brought the issue to the Capitol.
Among them was Wendy Tanner, of Olympia, who was one of the witnesses to discover Christensen and Buzzo along the trail. She reported it as a gunshot wound, but the investigation was not treated as such during the sheriff’s office response, according to records and previous reporting by The Chronicle.
“I think about him a lot,” Tanner said.
Tanner said she attended Sunday’s protest hoping to help bring “peace” for Christensen’s family, and because the incident left a significant impact on her.
“At this point we think that, at the county level, it is somewhat of a lost cause,” said event organizer Sarah Matson. “We're just trying to bring a little more attention to it and maybe have another jurisdiction look into it. Especially since it did technically happen on federal land, perhaps another jurisdiction can come in and review the investigation.”
Micah Braden and step-brother Tristian LeFever, close friends of the Christensen family, while frustrated that no one has been held accountable for the deaths of Aron and Buzzo, said they’ve been inspired by the support from residents of Lewis County and beyond.
Braden said many of Christensen’s friends grew up in the outdoors of Southern Oregon hunting and using firearms themselves and aren’t all just “Portland people.” The point of Sunday’s demonstration was not gun legislation or politics. They just want justice for their friend.
“You don't just accidentally shoot somebody and walk away and literally nothing happens, which is what's happening. It's completely crazy,” Braden said.
He said he feels Lewis County residents have the same desire: assurance that law enforcement agencies would seek justice for them or their loved ones.
“We knew Aron. We love Aron. But I wouldn’t feel better if that happened to you or anyone here,” Braden said.
Mike Heath, a best friend and bandmate of Christensen’s, said from the start of his involvement in the protests, people of Lewis County were welcoming.
“A little honk on the horn and a wave. It was like, ‘Oh, there is welcome here.’ It was just crushing and so warm at the same time,” Heath said.
Braden, who works with people who have cognitive disabilities, spoke to the thorough investigation process when complaints are raised about health care workers. With the scope of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office’s work, he said he’d like to see at least the same level of accountability for errors in the investigation into Aron and Buzzo’s deaths.
“What we're asking for is somebody to evaluate what's going on and ask more questions. So it's hard to say people might need to lose their jobs,” Braden said.
For additional background on the investigation into the death of Aron Christensen, visit https://bit.ly/3Ku7IPf to read a comprehensive overview by Chronicle reporter Emily Fitzgerald.
To read a statement from Christensen’s family following the decision not to file charges, visit https://bit.ly/43xVHkw.
To read a recent interview with Lewis County Sheriff's Office command staff, visit https://bit.ly/3oqW0gS.
To read about discussion of the case at a recent Lewis County commissioners meeting, visit https://bit.ly/41LseSo.
For a story focusing on the handling of the case by the Lewis County Coroner’s Office, visit https://bit.ly/3AqXryI.
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The case number for Lewis County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation into Christensen’s death is 22C10739. The public records request form for the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, which includes instructions on how to submit it, is available online at https://bit.ly/3UvuFpK.
