2012 body in river ID'd
Toshio Ota's body was found in August 2012 and only recently identified.
VANTAGE - Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison has identified the remains of a man found floating in the Columbia River near the Vantage Bridge in August of 2012.
The Grant County Sheriff's Department has the task of determining how he died and who may have killed him. The dead man is Toshio Ota, 75, of Seattle. ??
Working with the Seattle Police Department, investigators used dental records to confirm the identity of the remains. Morrison ruled the cause and manner of death as homicide due to blunt force head trauma. ??
Deputies recovered the remains from the Columbia River about three-quarters of a mile south of the Vantage-Interstate 90 Bridge on Aug. 25, 2012. The body appeared to have been in the water for a long time, and the investigation required a multi-agency approach to identify the remains. ?
Anyone with information to share about the incident or Ota should contact Detective Kyle Cox at the Grant County Sheriff's Office, 509-754-2011 ext. 468, or send anonymous information to crimetips@co.grant.wa.us.