By Abby Sewell
Molalla Pioneer
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body of a 20-year-old man from Gribble Creek this afternoon, after the young man was discovered by his father.
Deputies believe the young man, whose name had not been released as of press time, had run from the police after being pulled over in a stolen vehicle early this morning.
According to CCSO Sgt. Pete Tutmark, the young man’s father, who called earlier today to report his son missing, mentioned that the son had been in a vehicle with people who ran from the police the night before.
CCSO had pulled over the blue and white Dodge pickup truck on Lone Elder Road, near Canby, at about 1:40 a.m. The truck, which was reported stolen in Marion County on Dec. 1, pulled off the road onto the driveway of a produce farm on the 8500 block of South Lone Elder Road, and two people ran from the vehicle.
Tutmark said officers did not get a good look at either of the vehicle occupants, and despite several officers searching the area for more than an hour, they were unable to find either suspect. The search, hampered by rain and poor visibility, ended at 3:23 a.m.
After reporting his son missing, the young man’s father returned to the area near South Lone Elder Road with a friend to search for the young man.
The father found his son in the water, already deceased, and held onto the body while his friend called the police.
According to a CCSO statement, the father told dispatchers that he last saw his son at party in Molalla last evening, and that he had left in a blue and white pickup truck.
As of press time, Tutmark said it was unclear how the father knew where his son had gotten out of the truck. The second occupant of the pickup truck has not been identified.
“We don’t know if the father heard from somebody or what,” Tutmark said. “We’re still investigating. Somebody knows who was in the truck with the kid, and we hope they will step forward.”
CCSO is asking anyone with information on the case to call the Tip Line at 503-723-4949.
