Sheriff’s office investigating Grays Harbor man found dead in creek
Published 12:30 pm Tuesday, January 31, 2023
The Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office is continuing an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a man found in Porter Creek near Elma last week.
Gerald Eugene Beglinger, 53, is scheduled for an autopsy on Friday by the county coroner’s office.
“We’re trying to backtrack and find the last witnesses,” said Chief Criminal Deputy Kevin Schrader in a phone interview.
Beglinger was first reported missing on Jan. 18, Schrader said — personnel from the sheriff’s office had contacted family members at that time. Beglinger was last seen wandering off after his vehicle became stuck in a ditch near the Porter Creek Campground.
“He was found on the 24th of January at about 3:30 pm. A worker that was in the area up there looked off the roadway into the clearing and saw what appeared to be a body floating in the creek,” Schrader said. “He was later identified as Gerald Beglinger.”
There are no signs of obvious trauma, Schrader said, and foul play is not suspected at this time.
Anyone with information about Beglinger’s activities is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 360-533-8765, Schrader said.
Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.
