May 5, 2010 in City

Homicide victim hoped for fresh start

Family and friends say man found dead in Dishman Hills cave was a skilled cook and a ‘great dad,’ but alcoholism gripped him

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Colin Mulvany photo

Douglas Klages’ daughters hold recent photos of them with their dad, who was found dead Friday. At left is Erika Klages, 19, and at right is 14-year-old Racheal Rydell-Klages.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)

When Douglas Klages last talked to his parents, he was planning for the future.

The 46-year-old Spokane native struggled with alcoholism but wanted to clean up. He told his parents so in a phone call last Thursday.

“He said, ‘I know you’ll be happy: I’m lining myself up for a treatment program,’ ” said his father, Don Klages. “It was a terrible addiction.”

The next day, Don and Karen Klages learned of their son’s death.

Hikers found his body in a small cave inside the Dishman Hills Natural Area on Friday afternoon, where Spokane County sheriff’s detectives believe he’d been camping.

An autopsy showed he died from blunt-force trauma to his head, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Now, as detectives search for his killer, Doug Klages’ friends and family are struggling to understand how a man with no enemies and a generous heart could end up beaten to death. Klages’ death is the first homicide investigated by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office this year.

“This community is grieving,” said Dean Whisler, day room manager at the Union Gospel Mission, where Klages stayed on and off for several years. “Everyone loved him.”

Detectives are trying to piece together how Klages spent the last 24 hours of his life, said Sgt. Dave Reagan, Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

No time of death has been publicly released, but employees at Truth Ministries men’s shelter, 1910 E. Sprague Ave., said he showed up between about 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, then left after arguing with another guest.

Klages was extremely drunk that night, but “he didn’t drink all the time,” said Director Marty McKinney. “He stayed here quite a bit.”

Klages, a father of two, graduated from University High School in 1982. He loved to cook and started working in restaurants as a teenager. He had experience at top restaurants, but his alcoholism soon kept him from permanent employment, Whisler said. He owned a home with his wife but moved out after a divorce, family said.

He always had a home with his parents in Cusick, Wash., though he often stayed at shelters in Spokane and sought treatment for his addiction. But he never prevailed, Whisler said.

Still, Whisler said, “He never blamed his circumstances on someone else.

“You could tell that he was not what you would consider a typical transient person,” Whisler said. “Even when he would come looking like crap because he’d been out sleeping on some bench, he looked like Patrick Swayze.”

Klages showed up at Union Gospel Mission, 1224 E. Trent Ave., on April 27, looking for a place to stay. But he was still drunk from the night before, Whisler said, and he promised to sober up before returning.

“He said, ‘Oh gosh, Dean, you wouldn’t believe how much I drank. … I think I’ve hit my bottom this time,” Whisler said. “His transparency was so refreshing and honest, even in the midst of the demons he was fighting.”

Klages was an easygoing man known for his cooking skills and strong work ethic, Whisler said. “He’d say ‘When I’m busy, I don’t think about drinking,’ ” Whisler said.

Klages’ daughters, 19-year-old Erika and 14-year-old Racheal, called him “a great dad” who never missed a birthday. When Racheal visited from New York last summer, Klages’ goal was to stay sober for her, Whisler said.

Whisler said Klages grew up camping and was “quite skilled at it.”

He likely went to the Dishman area “because he felt safe out there.”

“He didn’t come across as someone you’d want to take advantage of, but he does seem like the type to take the shirt off his back,” Whisler said. “Someone with ulterior motives could have taken advantage of that servant’s heart.”

Four comments on this story so far. Add yours!

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  ChefGus/ John Olsen on May 05 at 5:03 a.m.

  Good morning… thank you for your coverage of this sad story… In the “mission” work of House of Charity, Shalom, UGM, Truth Ministries and others we that volunteer see this sort of story repeated over and over and over. Men and Women do make it to treatment and back to regular life styles often with much difficulty and falling back into the morass of drug/alcohol dependency. Families such as the loving/caring one this nice young man had are a big part of recovery, but often cannot be direct help themselves and thus folks are dependent on social services and the feeding and housing programs offered by church agencies.

  If you want to help, do not give them money… give them a smile and tell them where the local “mission” supports are located for food and shelter. Shalom is a feeding program at Central methodist four mornings a week and one night… House of Charity is the corner of Pacific and Brown.. feeding and shelter… Salvation Army, Union Gospel Mission out on Trent for men and women separate programs.. Crosswalk for Teens, Truth Ministry on Sprague… the list goes on.. but is readily accessible.

  If you wish to help financially or as a volunteer we are all in the telephone book… thank you again for sharing this tragic, all too common story. Dr John Olsen / Volunteer Chef at Shalom 220 4534

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  Albert on May 05 at 7:42 a.m.

  Chef is correct and I fully agree. We actively support Union Gospel and Truth Ministries. Truth Ministries is a very unique shelter that reminds me of the earlier Depression Era. Pastor McKinney will NOT turn anyone away - as clearly denoted in this article. This hurting victim was taken in by Truth Ministries, despite his condition, and then the victim left of his own accord. NOBODY is turned away from Truth Ministries where they will be fed and housed for the night. Remember the “beginnings” of the Salvation Army before they lost their vision? Well Truth Ministries has taken up that call. There is no reason for anyone to be on the street, hungry, or without a place to stay for the night, here in Spokane. Help is available on Sprague Street.

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  Joy5 on May 05 at 9:34 a.m.

  My thoughts and prayers are with the family. I hope they find who did this soon. Albert, thank you for the information, I had not heard of the Truth Ministries shelter. I will check into it, it sounds like it may be a good ministry to make a donation to.

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  racheal8 on September 27 at 10:32 a.m.

  wow i looove how two of you used my dads death as an advertisment. THANKS GUYS