Deputies look for pickup truck related to rural homicide investigation
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CHALLIS — Deputies are asking for the public’s help in looking for a vehicle that left the scene of a possible homicide.
Gavin Jones, a deputy with the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, told EastIdahoNews.com the alleged killing they are investigating happened Nov. 14 near River Road and Idaho Highway 75 in the Tunnel Rock area, which is five miles from Challis.
Jones said a 911 call came in at 6:13 p.m. for a man who had apparently shot himself in the head. The call came from a woman who had been nearby.
“I was about 20 minutes away from the location at the time. When I arrived, the gun was in a placement of where in a suicide, it commonly isn’t in that area, along with the position he was lying, it kind of looked like he was moved,” Jones said. “He did have a slight pulse when I got there, but when EMS got there, they called the time of death at 6:44 p.m.”
The deceased has been identified as David Knauer, 65. Jones said Knauer had just retired and moved to the Challis area two weeks before from Fairfield, California.
More details about the death have not been released. The Ada County Coroner’s Office is handling that part of the investigation.
“We have been working day and night on this. We have a couple of suspects. Right now, we are not going to be releasing their names,” Jones said.
He said deputies are looking for information on an older model, tan-colored pickup truck with a brown stripe down the side that might have a black grill guard in the front of it. The vehicle left the crime scene around 5:45 p.m.
Jones said if anyone does have any information, to contact him at (208) 879-2232 or by email at Custersheriff270@gmail.com.
