Body, pot plants found

The Olympian • Published October 14, 2008

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The Thurston County Sheriff's Office found 21 marijuana plants growing inside a home on Lawrence Lake Road in Yelm on Saturday, after a man there reported that his friend had a medical emergency.

The reporting party, Craig Marx, 39, is a registered Level 3 sex offender. Marx fled after firefighters arrived about 2 p.m. and found evidence of the marijuana grow, Chief Criminal Deputy James Chamberlain said Monday.

The 51-year-old adult who lived at the residence was reported dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel, Chamberlain said. Coroner Gary Warnock identified the deceased as Stephen L. Sagnella, who died of natural causes.

The estimated value of the marijuana plants is $63,000, officials with the Narcotics Task Force said.

The sheriff's office is trying to locate Marx to find out what he knew about the marijuana and to determine whether he is correctly registered as a sex offender at a valid address, Chamberlain said. Investigators are concerned that Marx gave emergency medical personnel a Yakima address, but he is a registered sex offender out of Klickitat County, Chamberlain said.