The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said it found “no indication of criminal activity” while investigating the death of an Oregon man whose body was found at the bottom of a ravine near Mount St. Helens last week.
The sheriff’s office announced the conclusion of its investigation in a Monday news release.
Benjamin C. Andersen, 37, of Washington County, Oregon, had been missing since May. Family members first reported his disappearance to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
In a missing person alert released on June 26, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said Andersen may have been training for the Bigfoot 200. The race is described by organizers as a “nonstop” 207.9-mile ultramarathon through Washington state’s Cascade mountain range.
The race is held in August.
Prior to his discovery, Andersen’s rented Chevy Equinox was last located by GPS on May 18 at U.S. Forest Service Road 25 near Mount St. Helens, according to investigators.
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office’s volunteer search and rescue team searched the area on June 15, but were unable to find Andersen or his rented SUV.
Over the next several weeks, the office continued to work with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the United States Forest Service.
“Utilizing historical location data and other investigative resources, investigators identified a remote location where evidence of a vehicle leaving the roadway was discovered,” the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said in its release.
According to the release, on July 14, investigators found Andersen’s SUV at the bottom of an embankment below U.S. Forest Service Road 25.
The next day, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office announced it had found Andersen’s body.
“This afternoon, with the help of the FBI Criminal Investigations Division and U.S. Forest Service out of Randle, Washington, a coordinated search located Ben Andersen near his last known location on NFD Road 25 in Skamania County,” the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said.
Officials said they found Andersen and the Equinox “at the bottom of a ravine.”
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said that, in addition to no signs of foul play, investigators found no evidence of “third-party involvement” in Andersen’s death.
The sheriff’s office said it has sent the investigation to the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office. In its release, the sheriff’s office thanked the “dedicated” volunteer search-and-rescue personnel from both its office and Silver Star Search & Rescue.
“These volunteers routinely respond to emergencies in some of the Pacific Northwest’s most challenging terrain, sacrificing countless hours away from their families and personal lives to assist those in need and to provide answers and closure to others during their most difficult moments,” the sheriff’s office said.
The office also thanked the law enforcement agencies with whom it collaborated, as well as the Washington state Emergency Management Division and the Skamania County Coroner’s Office.
“The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office extends its heartfelt condolences to Mr. Andersen’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” the release said.
In an update to its missing person alert, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said Andersen’s family “has asked for privacy at this time.”
“We are grateful for the community support and for the partner agencies that assisted in the search efforts for Ben,” the office said.
