Badly burned body found in car; officials call it suspicious
NEAR CRESWELL, Ore -- Investigators from the Lane County Sheriff's Office said a badly burned body was found in the back of a car early Saturday. Fire crews responded to the call at the intersection of Dale Kuni Road and Melton Road just north of the Creswell Airport at 3:30 am.
Oregon State Police, the Fire Marshall's Office and the District Attorney's office are investigating the death.
KVAL News asked Lt. Randy Smith what made the scene suspicious.
"It's not everyday that you have a car that's been fully ruined because of a fire and also because there is a body in there," he said.
It's been a busy few weekends for the Lane County Sheriff's Office. Just two weeks ago, also in Creswell, a man shot his neighbor after an apparent argument over speeding.
"It's non-stop," Smith said. "It's summertime and things always pick up. It is very, very busy for us."
As planes from the Creswell Airport streamed overhead, this scene kept deputies and detectives on their toes as they tried to figure out what happened early Saturday morning on this section of Dale Kuni Road.
Lt. Smith said investigators now have to figure out how the person died and what caused the fire. Those answers, he said, might be available at the end of the week. After that, the district attorneys office will decide whether to file charges. The sheriff's office has not positively identified the body yet.
