Crime

Coroner identifies man police found with gunshot wound in west Olympia Jan. 26

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A man who was found dead near the Olympia Auto Mall on Jan. 26 has been identified.

Ezra West, a 33-year-old man from Tenino, died from a gunshot wound to the head, Coroner Gary Warnock told The Olympian Thursday. He called West’s manner of death a homicide.

Detectives with the Olympia Police Department opened a homicide investigation into West’s death soon after he was found. Police Lt. Paul Lower said the investigation was still ongoing Wednesday. He declined to comment further.

A passerby reported seeing West’s body in a cul-de-sac on the 2000 block of Caton Way Southwest before 5 p.m. Jan. 26. Police located West and confirmed he had died.

Lower said anyone with information about West can call Olympia police at 360-753-8300.

Martín Bilbao
The Olympian
Martín Bilbao reports on Thurston County government, courts and breaking news. He joined The Olympian in November 2020 and previously worked for The Bellingham Herald and Daily Bruin. He was born in Ecuador and grew up in California. Support my work with a digital subscription
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