A 67-year-old landlord is accused of killing his tenant and hiding the victim’s body inside a barrel on his Cowlitz County property.
Cowlitz 911 received a report around 6:50 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, after a caller said a family member, identified as Ricky Dean Miller, admitted to killing someone and claimed the body was hidden on his Old Lewis River Road property, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies responded to the 3600 block of Old Lewis River Road and made contact with Miller. They later obtained a search warrant for the property, where they found the body of 71-year-old Dennis Eugene Schmitt concealed inside a barrel, sheriff’s officials said.
Schmitt was Miller’s tenant, and the two men lived in separate residences on the same property, police said.
An autopsy determined Schmitt suffered multiple blunt-force injuries to the head and showed evidence of strangulation, according to investigators.
Miller was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail on charges of second-degree murder and unlawful disposal of human remains.
The investigation is being handled by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective James Hanberry at 360-577-3092.
Additional details about Schmitt’s life were not immediately available. Loved ones are invited to share a statement, funeral details, and/or photos by emailing michael@pugetpress.com.
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