NEAH BAY — The blackened body of a man found in a burned car April 1 on the Makah reservation has been identified as Vaughn Alex Richardson, 23, of Seattle, Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict said Saturday.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Vaughn, who recently was honorably discharged from the Air Force, through his DNA, Benedict said.
The autopsy has yet to be completed, but the evidence indicates that Vaughn died as a result of self-immolation, Benedict said.
“We are 98 percent certain this is a suicide,” he said.
“All the evidence that we have is that he was the only one in the vehicle and that he therefore is responsible for what happened.”
Richardson was found in the driver’s seat of the car, which Benedict said might be a BMW and was discovered in a remote area of the reservation.
The FBI is aiding the county sheriff’s office, which is the lead agency, in the ongoing investigation, Benedict said.
“What we are trying to do is remove that 2 percent doubt and figure out everything that could have happened in the last 48 hours about this young man’s life,” he said.
The sheriff’s office, not the FBI, became the lead agency on the case because it appears Richardson’s death was the result of suicide and he was not a tribal member, Benedict said.
“It’s a tragic incident, but not a crime so far,” he said.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
