David Joseph Branze, 47, died October 7, 2015, after being shot while deer hunting near Meacham in Umatilla County. He was hunting with his father, Louis Neil Branze, 76, of Seaside, Oregon, when the fatal shot occurred. The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office responded and reported the shooting as accidental; investigators treated the incident with the same rigor as any death investigation and the case remained open while procedures were completed.

Born September 17, 1968, to Louis and Mary Branze, David graduated from Parkrose High School in 1987 and was noted as an excellent hockey player. He loved the outdoors, hunting and fishing in the Mt. Emily area near La Grande, and had hunted there with his father for more than 37 years. At the time of his death he worked as a pilot car driver escorting heavy equipment and oversized loads. A celebration of his life was held October 17, 2015, at Ross Hollywood Chapel in Portland; the family suggested donations to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in his memory.

If anyone had recent contact with David or information about the October 7, 2015 hunting trip, please share what is known.