Hit-And-Run ‘Person Of Interest’ Identified

For almost a month, friends and family members have been anxiously waiting for answers from the crash that killed 48-year-old Tony Martin of Bend as he walked a bicycle across the street one January night.

Over the weekend, Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty was quoted as naming a person of interest in the case.

Flaherty would not discuss the police investigation further, but told The Bulletin, “there are a number of steps that need to be taken before an arrest is made.”

“We’re not rushing to judgment,” he told the paper.

Police have searched Bret Lee Biedscheid’s 2008 GMC Sierra pickup and a southwest Bend home he owns with his wife, but a judge has sealed the results of that warrant.

Calls and e-mails were not returned Monday from the DA or Bend Police Lt. Ben Gregory to confirm whether Biedsheid is just a person of interest or a suspect in the case.

Neither were calls to Portland lawyer Stephen Houze, who state records show as Biedsheid’s defense attorney.

We also visited the Biedsheid home, but no one answered.

Last week Gregory told NewsChannel 21 he is “confident the case will come to a successful close,” but for now authorities are not making any further comments on the investigation.