SEATTLE — Two years after a Kent man disappeared near Cle Elum, his family is still looking for answers and hoping for closure.
“Life goes by and you kind of feel stuck in the same moment,” said Nate Eckles, whose younger brother Ian Eckles was reported missing May 18, 2020. “Every day that passes, you just don't know where he is or if we'll ever be able to bring him home.”
A family spokesperson said in 2020 that Eckles, who was 41 at the time, had planned to solo camp on May 17 and meet his hunting party the following morning. He never showed up.
As volunteers and law enforcement were searching for Eckles, someone saw another man driving Eckles’ Toyota FJ Cruiser. Eckles’ car was later found abandoned in the woods north of Cle Elum, and detectives found evidence in the SUV that led investigators to believe Eckles was killed.
Police identified a suspect who they believed knew something about Eckles’ disappearance, prompting a 23-day manhunt for the suspect. During the search, the Department of Natural Resources closed a portion of the Teanaway Community Forest to limit the suspect’s contact with the public and protect the public from possible harm.
The suspect was arrested after someone spotted him walking in a neighborhood in the Teanaway area and called police.
The suspect, who was also wanted for burglaries, thefts and possession of stolen vehicles, has not been charged in connection to Eckles’ death.
“All the questions circle in my mind, and I really can’t find the answers,” said Nate Eckles. “Sometimes it’s so frustrating to think about one person holds the key. One person holds all the knowledge in their head to make this all come to a close and give us some closure, some peace of mind knowing we can bring him home and lay him to rest how he should be.”
Ian Eckles was described by friends and family as a lifelong hunter and someone who loved the outdoors. Nate Eckles said his little brother taught him to fish, and some of his fondest memories of the two of them are in nature, camping, practicing target shooting or having campfires.
When Eckles went missing, he had recently become a grandfather.
“Seeing his grandbabies come along, that's one thing that my heart breaks when I get to think about him not being able to see those things and miss those things,” said Nate Eckles. “They're so important.”
Family and friends searched for Ian Eckles last weekend, and Nate Eckles said additional searches are planned this summer to try and find him.
The family urges anyone who goes out to the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest to keep an eye out for anything unusual, such as trash in an abnormal spot or disturbed earth or bones, and report it to the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office.
“We haven’t given up hope, and we’re going to look for him out there for as long as it takes,” said Nate Eckles.