Victim of 2011 Grant County homicide identified

POTHOLES RESERVOIR — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help from the public in determining what happened to a man whose body was found near the Potholes Reservoir in 2011 and recently identified. 

Jorge Palayo-Rodriguez, 39, was found dead from a gunshot wound near the reservoir Nov. 23, 2011, according to a GCSO press release.  

Kyle Foreman, GCSO public information officer, said Palyao-Rodriguez's last known address was Othello. 

“We’re interested in knowing anything about Jorge Palayo-Rodriguez,” Foreman said. 

Deputies submitted DNA for testing in 2011 but didn’t receive any matches, the GCSO release said. Samples were tested again with updated techniques and this time Palayo-Rodriguez's DNA was matched with a relative.  

“It’s been 14 years when we didn’t have a good place to start, but now that we have his identification, we do have a good place to start,” Foreman said. 

Deputies are asking anyone with information on Palayo-Rodrigez to contact GCSO, 509-762-1160, reference case No. 11GS15427. 

“A cold case is not a closed case,” Foreman said.