Washington State Autopsy Confirms ID of Man Last Seen at Casino

Posted on: December 17, 2024, 07:17h. 

Last updated on: December 17, 2024, 07:17h.

The body of a man who was missing for three years recently was discovered and identified by a Washington State medical examiner. He was last seen alive at a nearby casino.

The Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office revealed on Sunday they confirmed the deceased man was Terry “TJ” Shinaver, 32, of St. Helens, Oregon.

Shinaver’s body was located in a truck that was discovered on December 7 in water in Woodland, Washington.

Accidental Drowning

An autopsy showed that the man died from accidental drowning, according to the coroner’s office. His identity was confirmed using dental records. The coroner’s office didn’t release details on injuries.

A tow truck driver was in the area looking for a different vehicle and saw Shinaver’s truck in the water.

“Law Enforcement had been called out to recover a vehicle that had gone off the road and into the water off Dike Road in Woodland,” according to this week’s statement from the coroner’s office.

When the tow truck recovered the vehicle, they realized that the one they retrieved was not the one that they were there to recover, and this vehicle had someone in it. The vehicle recovered … belong[ed] to Terry Shinaver.”

Woodland is some 30 miles north of Portland.

Went to ilani Casino Resort

Shinaver had been missing since the night of April 30, 2021 when he was seen at the ilani Casino Resort in Ridgefield, Washington. It’s a tribal gaming property operated by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. It’s located about a half-dozen miles from where Shinaver’s truck was found.

Authorities haven’t revealed the events that led to Shinaver’s truck to wind up in the water.

It’s unclear if the vehicle went out of control, went off the road, and landed in the body of water. Or, if the events leading to man’s death were different.

Only Shinaver’s body was located in the truck, so it appears he was alone when the truck submerged.

At the time he disappeared, local police officers released a description of Shinaver. He was about six-feet tall, weighed about 155 pounds, and had brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a yellow, long-sleeve work shirt, Carhartt-brand jeans, as well as Carhartt boots.

He was driving a black 1993 Ford Ranger with Oregon license plates. It’s believed this truck was the same one that was found submerged in Woodland.

The missing person case was investigated by Oregon’s St. Helens Police Department.