Body on Greenbank beach identified as Arlington man

By JESSIE STENSLAND
Whidbey News Times Assistant editor
January 11, 2011 · Updated 3:40 PM 

  • 0
  • Print Story
  • Email Author
  • Letter/Editor

A forensic odontologist helped investigators identify a body that was washed ashore in Greenbank Dec. 14 as 47-year-old Edwin “Randy” Brown of Arlington, according to the Island County Sheriff’s Office.

Brown was last seen on the night of Oct. 9 at a camping site near the Stillaguamish River in Arlington. His friends reported his disappearance to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

Island County Coroner Robert Bishop said Brown’s cause of death was an accidental drowning.

Forensic Odontologist Dr. Gary Bell of the Washington State Patrol Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit identified Brown from dental records.

A Greenbank resident who lives in a beach-front home off North Bluff Road, which is on the east side of Whidbey Island, found the body near the high-tide mark Dec. 14.

Bishop said the flooding in the mainland during mid-December probably pushed Brown’s body out of the river and into Puget Sound.

“The Island County Sheriff’s Office and the Island County Coroner’s Office would also like to thank Dr. Kallander and his staff in Oak Harbor and Dr. Dykstra and his staff in Arlington for their assistance with the identification of Brown,” the press release from the sheriff’s office states.

Contact Whidbey News Times Assistant editor Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360.675.6611 ext. 5056.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.

blog comments powered by Disqus