An 88-year-old Rainier, Oregon, man who went missing May 30 has been found dead in rural southeast Washington, the Columbia County coroner said.
Shirley Benjamin "Ben" Gano, 88, of Rainier, left Colville, Washington, on May 30.
Shirley Benjamin "Ben" Gano was found outside Starbuck, Washington, Monday morning. He was about 300 feet away from the BMW he'd been driving.
Gano didn't appear to have been in a car crash, said Rea Culwell, a coroner and prosector in Columbia County, Washington. There were also no signs of foul play, she said.
Culwell said she suspects Gano has been dead for more than a week. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday.
Gano was seen leaving a relative's house in Colville, Washington, May 30, and never arrived at home in Rainier. Since his disappearance, police in Colville have received information about possible sightings in Walla Walla and near the Columbia River.
Police don't know where Gano was headed or why he got out of his car, Culwell said. The investigation is ongoing.
-- Melissa Binder
mbinder@oregonian.com
503-294-7656
@binderpdx