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October 23, 2025
A Cowlitz County jury has found 45-year-old Ruperto Aguayo of Kelso guilty of first-degree manslaughter in the 2023 death of former Longview restaurant owner Grant Hadler but acquitted him of a later-added second-degree murder charge.
Prosecutors said Aguayo beat Hadler on February 19, 2023, after a car ride from the Shamrock. Aguayo’s then-girlfriend told police Hadler sexually assaulted her during the ride, prompting the attack.
First responders found Hadler unconscious in the roadway around 2:30 a.m. He died a week later. An autopsy ruled the death a homicide, citing multiple facial fractures and lacerations, though the defense argued Hadler died of cardiac arrest brought on by extreme intoxication.
Aguayo’s attorney, Angus Lee, said his client acted reasonably under the circumstances and plans to appeal the verdict.
