PORT ANGELES — City police and federal arson investigators continued to search for clues Monday into the death of man on a fishing boat at the Port Angeles Boat Haven.
The man, who has not been named by authorities, was found after a suspicious fire aboard the 30-foot Karen L early Sunday.
Port Angeles police have not ruled out homicide or arson.
“This is still an open, active investigation,” said Jason Viada, Port Angeles deputy chief of police, in a Monday interview.
“We are not ready to release the name of the decedent because we want to make sure of the identity.
“We’re going to do that through the autopsy and dental records,” he added.
Viada said the autopsy would be “critical to this investigation.”
Mark Nichols, Clallam County prosecuting attorney and ex-officio coroner, said an autopsy is scheduled to be performed later this week at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office in Seattle.
“While there is a possibility we could receive a preliminary determination regarding cause of death immediately following the autopsy, it could also take weeks just depending on what is observed and whether we need to await tox (toxicology) results,” Nichols said in a Monday email.
The Port Angeles Fire Department said two people were sleeping on the boat when the fire was reported at 5:57 a.m. Sunday.
The wooden vessel was lifted on blocks and jacks in a row of other boats on Port of Port Angeles property on the north side of the east Boat Haven parking lot.
One person escaped the fire without injury, Port Angeles Fire Department Captain Kelly Ziegler said.
Police interviewed the person who was on the boat when the fire started.
“The person we talked to was not arrested, and we still do not fully know their involvement in this,” said Viada, who would not identify the person who escaped the fire.
Police Sgt. Kori Malone, who was leading the investigation at the site Sunday evening, said a preliminary identification of the decedent had been made.
“We have spoken with next of kin of who we believe this person is,” Malone said late Sunday.
“We want to keep the identity, the name, to us for now.”
In a Monday interview, Viada said rumors about the identify of the man “got ahead of us” and had reached a person believed to be the next of kin of the decedent.
“We’re going to err on the side of accuracy at the expense of speed,” Viada said.
“We have several more interviews to do that are at the very top of our to-do list, and, of course — as always — careful examination of available surveillance footage,” he added.
Viada would not say whether weapons or ammunition were found on the vessel.
A public records request for the police report was denied Monday because the fire was an “open and active investigative case,” city Records Specialist Sam Barcklow said.
Officials with the Seattle office of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were helping police process the scene Sunday and Monday.
Police requested ATF assistance as they did after a quadruple homicide and arson at the Welcome Inn RV Park in west Port Angeles in July 2019, Viada said.
“They are assisting us with this investigation because it is a fire,” Viada said.
“We have certified arson investigators, but they (ATF) are really the experts at investigating fire, and they’re willing to help, so we’re glad to have their help.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
