MERCER ISLAND, Wash. — A man who went missing on Mercer Island in late February was found dead over 100 miles from his home, the King County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Monday.
Curtis Engeland, 74, was reported missing from his Mercer Island home by his roommate, who said the victim was missing and acting outside of his normal routine.
Washington State Patrol issued a Silver Alert for Engeland, while Mercer Island police investigators worked to determine where he might have gone.
The King County Medical Examiner's Office said Engeland was found Monday in Cosmopolis, a city in Grays Harbor County southwest of Aberdeen. The cause of death was determined to be "sharp force injury of neck" and was ruled a homicide.
"This is very, very hard and difficult for us,” said friend and neighbor Laurie Goeken. "It is a quiet neighborhood, and we all know each other. And to have somebody go missing is just terrifying news."
Goeken was devastated when the news got worse, and she learned the Engeland’s body had been found.
"The fact that we are here now, and we know the outcome to me feels like now we need to know what happened,” Goeken said.
Another neighbor, Marco Speer, also hopes more information is released.
"This is really bizarre, really bizarre," Speer said. "It just amps up my radar a little bit."
Mercer Island police said they believe there is no active threat to the community, as officials investigate.