A week ago, a body was discovered on a Woodland property after the owner reportedly told a family member he had killed someone, and hidden the body on his property. Now, the body has been identified as 71-year-old Dennis Eugene Schmitt.

Schmitt was found by Deputies of the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office on December 16th after they searched the property owned by 67-year-old Ricky Dean Miller. His body had been hidden inside a barrel on Miller’s property, in the 3600 block of Old Lewis River Road. An autopsy on December 19th reportedly found Schmitt had multiple blunt-force injuries to his head, and evidence of strangulation.

Schmidt had been living in a separate residence on Miller’s property, with Miller as landlord.

Miller has been booked into the Cowlitz County Jail on charges of 2nd Degree Murder and Unlawful Disposal of Human Remains.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Detective James Hanberry at (360) 577-3092.