After an extensive two-month review of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation into the death of Aron Christensen, the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office has decided there is not enough evidence at this time to support felony charges against the primary suspect in Christensen’s death.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office referred first-degree manslaughter and first-degree animal cruelty charges against Ethan Michael Asbach, 20, of Tenino, to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office at the end of January.
Asbach was accused of firing the bullet that killed Christensen and his dog, Buzzo, on the 101 trail between Walupt Lake and the Walupt Lake Campground on Aug. 19. The bodies were found the next day, Aug. 20.
The prosecutor’s office reached its charging decision at the end of March but waited until Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer met with Christensen’s family on Monday, April 10, before making the decision public.
There were over 100 years of combined Washington prosecution law experience involved in the review, Meyer said Monday, adding that everyone involved in the review came to the same conclusion.
While the Lewis County Coroner’s Office has ruled Christensen’s cause of death was homicide by gunshot wound to the chest, and forensics have confirmed the bullet recovered from Christensen’s torso during an autopsy matches the gun Asbach carried onto the 101 trail the night of Christensen’s death, Meyer said a manslaughter charge would not hold up in court because there’s no evidence to indicate Asbach acted recklessly or with criminal negligence.
The only evidence the prosecutor’s office has regarding Asbach’s behavior is Asbach’s own statement, Meyer said, as the sheriff’s office’s investigation turned up no physical evidence at the scene to either confirm or challenge his statement.
Meyer expressed frustration Monday toward how the sheriff’s office handled the investigation, specifically referencing Lewis County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew G. Scrivner’s decision to call off detectives and move the bodies from the scene on Aug. 20.
“You treat a case like it’s a homicide case until it’s not. That didn’t happen,” he said during the meeting with Christensen’s family, later adding, “I’ve made my feelings known about that to the sheriff’s office. That’s really all I can do.”
When asked directly by one of Aron’s family members Monday if he believed his charging decision would be different had the sheriff’s office done the initial investigation correctly, Meyer said, “I don’t know what that initial investigation would have turned up.”
The prosecutor’s office plans to look into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest’s shooting parameters to determine whether or not Asbach can be charged for discharging his firearm, but those would be misdemeanor charges, Meyer said Monday.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office will reconsider its charging decision if it receives new evidence on the case, Meyer said.
The general statute of limitations for felony charges in Washington state is three years, though some serious felonies, including murder and voluntary manslaughter, have no statute of limitations.
Christensen’s family indicated Monday they intend to release a statement about the charging decision in the near future.
Family members and friends of Christensen have previously told The Chronicle they are frustrated with a lack of information from authorities, the failure to arrest a suspect in the case following Christensen’s death and poor treatment they received from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office during the investigation.
The Chronicle’s previous coverage on the case can be read online at https://www.chronline.com/stories/justice-delayed-documents-shed-light-on-tumultuous-investigation-into-death-of-aron-christensen,316167.
Look for an update on this story in the Thursday edition of The Chronicle and at chronline.com later this week.
