Headless body found in Snake River identified

ASOTIN COUNTY, Wash. — A body found in the Snake River near Chief Timothy Park has been identified as Gary Thompson, a man who went missing in Nez Perce County in May 16, 2008.

Asotin County Deputies were notified of a body in the river on March 21.

Deputies took the body to Seattle for Forensic testing in an attempt to locate the identity.

Detectives followed several leads of local missing persons, and eventually made contact with Sharon Thompson, the wife of the missing subject Gary Thompson of Potlach, Idaho.

The body had keys in the pants pocket which were to a 2002 to a 2005 Dodge Pickup with an ARE key to a canopy.

Gary Thompson did have a 2003 Dodge pickup with an ARE canopy, so his wife brought the Dodge to the Moscow Police Department.

The keys unlocked the door to the pickup and started the truck.

Sharon Thompson was also able to identify another personal item found in the victims pockets that she believed belonged to Gary.

Gary Thompson had been missing since May 16, 2008, when it was believed he had fallen off his boat and was presumed drowned while fishing the Clearwater River near Spalding, Idaho.

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