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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Man sought in connection with killing

A man accused of helping a killer torch his victim’s home in 2010 is wanted by police.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest of Eric Andersen, 46, whose last known home address was in Soap Lake, Wash.

Detectives believe Andersen helped Ryan D. Corkery, 28, burn William Frazier Hanel’s home at 12036 S. Player Drive on Oct. 12, 2010.

Corkery strangled Hanel, 56, with an electrical cord a couple days earlier and enlisted the help of Andersen and Mark A. Hoffman, 24, to cover up the crime, prosecutors say.

Andersen was arrested a week after Hanel’s body was found in the burning home, but prosecutors moved to dismiss the charges about two months later.

Deputy Prosecutor Dale Nagy said Tuesday that he filed charges again on Jan. 18 after a new witness became available.

Corkery, who claimed Hanel molested a relative, was sentenced in December to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

Hoffman was sentenced in January 2011 to six months in jail for first-degree rendering criminal assistance and residential burglary.

Anyone with information on Andersen’s current location is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or submit tips online.

Collision leaves one critically injured

A collision between a car and a semi-trailer Tuesday night left one person critically injured and resulted in the closure of U.S. Highway 395 south of Deer Park.

The Washington State Patrol diverted traffic at mile post 172 between Half Moon Road and Fender Road after the 9:25 p.m. accident, according to a WSP spokesman.

No other details were available late Tuesday.

Fire destroys Newman Lake home

A fire ripped through a Newman Lake home at 12611 N. East Newman Lake Drive just after 1 a.m. Tuesday morning.

There were no injuries, but the home was a total loss.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department, which has a mutual aid agreement with Newman Lake Fire District 13, responded to the fire.

All three people in the house were able to escape safely. The home was fully involved when firefighters arrived.

The Red Cross is assisting the residents.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Hypothermia caused man’s death

A man found dead in a remote part of Pend Oreille County died of hypothermia, authorities said Monday.

The victim, whose identity was being withheld pending notification of relatives, was discovered Thursday northeast of Sullivan Lake by U.S. Border Patrol agents while training on snowmobiles, according to the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office.

The agents assisted sheriff’s deputies in recovering the body.

The Sheriff’s Office said it appears the 61-year-old man left his vehicle and walked into the area where his body was found.

Library offers foreign language classes

Online foreign language courses are now available for cardholders of Spokane County Library District.

The library recently announced the addition of the service through Seattle-based Livemocha.

The free online courses are in 38 languages, including Russian, Spanish and Mandarin.

The site is found on the library district’s website at scld.org under the research tab.