PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Authorities seek the public’s help in solving the 2019 “suspicious deaths” of an Estacada couple in Mt. Hood National Forest.
Around 9:45 a.m. Aug. 12, 2019, Stacy Jean Rickerd, 42, and Jeremy David Merchant, 43, were found dead in a gravel pit, an area known for shooting practice, according to Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
“Murder in the Rain” podcast host Emily Rowney said medical examiners initially moted the two died by homicidal gun violence but were not “forthcoming with the cause of death.” Since then, Rowney said, officials determined they died due to gunshot wounds.
The people who found the bodies “went to that location to shoot, saw what they thought was suspicious and they called us,” said Sgt. Marcus Mendoza.
Crime Stoppers of Oregon is offering a reward for any information that leads to an arrest in this case. Anyone with information is urged to call the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 503-723-4949 and reference case number 2019-018794.