Vancouver Man Arrested For Murder Case Out of Ariel—Klog 100.7 News

After months of investigation, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that an arrest has been made in the homicide investigation out of Ariel from November.Forty-five-year-old Joseph Klimas III of Vancouver has been charged with 1st-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm; he is suspected of killing 46-year-old Cesar Reyes of Portland.

Just after 8 a.m. on November 11th, Cowlitz 911 received a report that a man had been found unresponsive off Lewis River Road at milepost 42. A Washington State Patrol trooper arrived on the scene and met the reporting party, who had found the male, later identified as Reyes, dead on a logging road.

Detectives with the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office responded to investigate due to suspicious circumstances and determined that Reyes had died from gunshot wounds to the head and neck. They also later determined that he was likely killed off-site and taken to where he was found.

This investigation is still ongoing, and no further details have been released at this time. The Sheriff’s Office asks that anyone with information on the incident contact Detective Kris Moore at 360-577-3092.