Crime & Safety
Grant County, WA Body Found in Canal Believed to Be Missing Man
A close-up, angled view of the back of a bright red and yellow reflective ambulance. The rear doors feature bold, diagonal chevron stripes in red and lime-yellow, with two black rectangular windows, integrated red tail lights, and amber indicator lights. The vehicle body is white on the far left edge, and the scene is brightly lit by daylight, suggesting an outdoor setting during the day.
Photo: Country Herald
Moses Lake, WA – A body recovered from an irrigation canal north of Moses Lake Thursday morning is believed to be that of missing man Richard Johnson, according to authorities in Grant County.
According to the Grant County Sheriff's Office, irrigation district employees discovered the body in a canal near Stratford Road and Road 16-NE, about 16 miles north of Moses Lake.
The discovery was also approximately 8 miles downstream from an irrigation canal near Road 23-NE and Pinto Ridge Road-NE, where authorities said Johnson's unoccupied pickup truck was found Saturday.
Firefighters with Grant County Fire District 5 responded to the scene and recovered the body from the canal, according to the sheriff's office.
Authorities said the body is now in the care of Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday as officials work to formally determine the person's identity and cause and manner of death.
The sheriff's office said Johnson's family has been notified of the discovery.
Officials described the recovered body as being "believed to be" Johnson. Authorities had not announced a positive identification in the information released Thursday, and no cause of death was provided.
The recovery follows the search for Johnson after his pickup was found unattended Saturday near the canal roughly 24 miles north of Moses Lake when combining the locations described by authorities.
The sheriff's office did not immediately provide additional information about the circumstances surrounding Johnson's disappearance or how long he had been missing.
The investigation remains ongoing pending the coroner's findings.
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