PORTLAND, Ore. — Alex Steininger has been overwhelmed by disappointment since learning that the prosecutor in Lewis County will not be filing felony charges in the shooting death of his good friend, Portlander Aron Christensen.
"While it wasn't a shock it was a gut punch, and it still hurt a lot and left a lot of unanswered questions and a lot of room for speculation," Steininger said.
It all stems from a camping trip near Walupt Lake in Washington's Lewis County during August of 2022. Christensen and his dog were shot to death while out for a hike.
Detectives identified 20-year-old Ethan Asbach and a 17-year-old girl, both Thurston County residents, as the suspects. Asbach's family told authorities that he shot Christensen out of fear, thinking that he and his dog were a wild animal.
"He was whip smart," Steininger said. "He had a really really dry sense of humor but could whip out a joke any time. He was a great chef, a great musician."
He was a man who friends and family say is not getting the justice he deserves, at least right now.
In a statement sent to KGW Tuesday, the prosecutor in Lewis County said he would not be charging Asbach with felony manslaughter because of a lack of sufficient facts in the case.
"It's pretty obvious they're not going to trial because they bungled the case so much that they didn't feel confident in getting a guilty verdict," friend Ezra Meredith said.
Meredith points to an inept law enforcement investigation. Regardless, the prosecutor is reportedly looking at filing misdemeanor charges in the case.
"At this point that's pissing in the ocean," Steininger said. "It's a slap on the wrist. It's doing something to do something."
That explains why friends pledge to continue fighting on behalf of Aron Christensen.
"We couldn't get them in the criminal case but hopefully we can get some sort of remedy," Steininger said. "And not even monetarily, just more answers."