Motorist finds man’s body along Hwy. 26 NW of Madras; investigation underway
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A passing motorist found a man’s body lying along U.S. Highway 26 northwest of Madras on Thursday morning, prompting an investigation that included an Oregon State Police forensics team, Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins said.
The motorist called Jefferson County 911 dispatchers and reported they believed they had found a body at the intersection with Northwest Danube Drive, about seven miles northwest of Madras, Adkins said.
Deputies went to the scene, contacted the motorist around 6:45 a.m. and found a man’s body beside the road, Adkins said. They then secured the scene and notified supervisors.
The Central Oregon Major Incident Team was called to the location to assist the sheriff’s and district attorney’s office in the death investigation. The sheriff’s office and Oregon State Police are commanding the team.
The man's remains were taken to Bel-Air Funeral Home in Madras, the sheriff said, and the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office near Portland plans an autopsy on Friday.
Adkins said he could not release details as to the suspected manner of death, nor the man’s name, as detectives continue their investigation. More information will be released “as the integrity of the investigation allows,” the sheriff said in a news release.
The major incident team for the investigation includes Warm Springs, Redmond, Madras and Bend police, OSP, Deschutes and Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies and the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation was encouraged to contact sheriff’s Detective Tyler Anderson at 541-475-6520.
