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Hillsboro police investigate death along NE 25th Avenue field

Jami Seymore

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A wide-open field in Hillsboro just feet away from the airport, now the scene of a death investigation after police were called to the area Tuesday, June 7, just after 2 p.m.

“We received a call from a person reporting suspicious circumstances out in this field behind me,” said Sgt. Clint Chrz with the Hillsboro Police Dept. “Our detective division showed up and confirmed it was a death investigation. The medical examiners office was called and they came out to the scene.”

While the investigation is still early, it’s unknown what happened in the field just south of NE 25th and Beacon near Intel and across from the airport. As Hillsboro Police detectives work to identify the victim and find out what led to the death, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team — made up of teens and young adults aged 14-21 — are helping comb the tall grasses and bushes for anything that may help answer these questions.

Washington County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue teams look for evidence during a death investigation in Hillsboro. The investigation was called after police were alerted to “suspicious circumstances” in a field near NE 25th Avenue and NE Beacon Court around 2 p.m. Tuesday. June 8, 2022 (KOIN).
Washington County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue teams look for evidence during a death investigation in Hillsboro. The investigation was called after police were alerted to “suspicious circumstances” in a field near NE 25th Avenue and NE Beacon Court around 2 p.m. Tuesday. June 8, 2022 (KOIN).

“The Search and Rescue group of cadets is a perfect, perfect team to do that sort of evidence locating,” said Chrz. “It’s just an excellent group of young individuals that have an interest in law enforcement and an excellent job by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for training these individuals to help and assist not only the sheriff’s office but also other agencies in Washington County.”

Police also confirmed that while Tuesday’s plane crash in Hillsboro was in the same area, it’s not connected to the death. 

“We received the call of a suspicious circumstance in the field over here at about 2:11 yesterday afternoon,” said Chrz. “Roughly about an hour after that, while we were on scene with this, we did receive a report of a crashed airplane on the grounds of the Hillsboro Airport and that was totally separate, had nothing to do with the death investigation.”

Hillsboro Police are asking anyone who may know what happened in this death investigation to contact the detective on case #22-11148, Det. Megan Townsend, at megan.townsend@hillsboro-oregon.gov or 503-681-5329. They can also reach the department’s 24-hour non-emergency line at 503-629-0111.