Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer issued two press releases in conjunction with his report to to county commissioners at their meeting yesterday. The first concerns the case of Hannah Walker, a young woman whose body was found last October in Trout Lake Creek. Though the family believes her death was a homicide, Songer had this response:
“The case has been thoroughly reviewed by my staff and me along with the Washington State Attorney General’s cold case homicide investigators. Based on available information and evidence. It appears that Hannah Walker’s death was accidental drowning. Though foul play cannot be ruled out completely, there is no evidence or probable cause to believe that a crime was committed. Should new information become available that is reasonable and credible, the case could be reopened at some point in the future.”
In a second press release, Songer addressed the case of Tanner Carico, a registered sex offender who had been living in Klickitat County for a year without reporting as required to local law enforcement. Songer expressed concern that Klickitat County Prosecuting Attorney David Quesnel called for Carico to be released from jail:
“Anytime this prosecuting attorney’s office releases somebody from our jail that may end up hurting one of our citizens is unbelievable. And as Sheriff, my job is to protect the citizens’ safety of this community and I will stand up to that prosecutor every time that happens. I apologize to Mr. Quesnel if that upsets him. Bottom line is my job is to protect the public, period. As a prosecutor. He has every right to either file, not file or dismiss. That’s his lane of travel and I understand it. I have a different lane of travel: protect the citizens I serve.”
Though warning the public about Mr. Carico, and asking they keep the sheriff’s office up to date on his whereabouts, Songer made it clear that people were not to take matters into their own hands. “Anyone who takes part in vigilante justice,” he said, “will be held accountable.”