The murder of an Oregon man whose body was found on a remote logging road may have been motivated by a desire to keep the man quiet, according to police records.
Joseph Klimas III, 45, of Vancouver, is accused of shooting Cesar Reyes, 46, and dumping his body on the logging road. Reyes' body was discovered Nov. 11, 2024, in Washington state, The Chronicle reported.
Police who found the body described it as still being warm with a gunshot wound to the side of the face.
An inmate arrested in December on assault and drug charges told police that Klimas said he shot Reyers because he was talking about and sharing information that Klimas did not want to be shared. Police reports obtained by The Chronicle did not provide details as to what the information was that Klimas allegedly wanted to be kept private.
Klimas is charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm, The Columbian reported.
The newspaper reported that the day before Reyes's body was found, Klimas and the inmate - who was still free at the time - were texting. In those messages, Klimas mentioned wanting to buy a gun and ammunition from the inmate and suggested they meet near the location where police believe the murder took place.
