Clark County Sheriff’s Office Closes Investigation into Charles Gardiner’s Suicide—Klog 100.7 News

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has concluded its investigation into the death of former Interim Cowlitz Tribal Police Chief Charles Gardiner, confirming that his death on April 23 in Vancouver was a suicide. Authorities found no evidence of foul play.

Separately, Gardiner had been the subject of a criminal investigation into allegations of sex offenses involving a juvenile. Investigators had established probable cause to charge him with First Degree Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and Possession of Depictions of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct. The alleged inappropriate relationship is believed to have lasted between six to nine months.

Detectives do not believe there are any additional victims. With Gardiner’s death, the case is being closed by what law enforcement refers to as an “exceptional clearance,” a classification used when a suspect cannot be formally charged due to circumstances such as death.