Jerry Rasmussen, 65, of Valley, Washington, was reported missing on September 27, 2021, after his wife, Brenda Rasmussen, said he left their home weeks earlier on his motorcycle with a large sum of cash, saying he had cabin fever. Investigators later developed suspicions about that account and identified Brenda and her two adult sons, Danny and Andrew Jones, as persons of interest; the family property on Darrin Road became the focus of the inquiry.

In November, cadaver dogs indicated the presence of human remains near a newly installed storage shed. In early December, after the shed was moved, Jerry’s body was found buried beneath it, wrapped in a blanket and plastic. An autopsy confirmed a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Arrest warrants were issued, and in February 2022 Brenda and her sons were located and taken into custody in Fort Mohave, Arizona on initial charges including rendering criminal assistance; charges were later expanded to include second-degree murder and unlawful disposal of human remains.

Brenda Rasmussen later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with a witness and received a 19½-year prison sentence; Danny and Andrew Jones also pleaded guilty to charges related to their roles in the cover-up. Did anyone in the Valley area know Jerry’s movements in the weeks before he disappeared?