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

Coeur d’Alene man found dead behind Moscow sporting goods store

Chad Sokol / Correspondent
MOSCOW – Police believe a man found dead behind a sporting goods store Sunday evening may have been under the influence of alcohol when he tumbled down a steep embankment. No foul play is suspected in the death of Kristofer Cannard, 37, whose body was found in a narrow space against the back wall of Tri-State Outfitters off the Pullman-Moscow Highway. Police and fire officials responded to a 911 call from a resident of the apartment complex at the top of the embankment. The caller was concerned about a man “lying down” behind the building, Moscow Police Lt. David Lehmitz said. Residents watched as authorities used a stretcher and ropes to hoist Cannard’s body out of the crevice, up the hill and through a hole in a chain-link fence into the apartment parking lot. The incident is still under investigation, and a preliminary toxicology report is expected by Tuesday. It’s not clear when or why Cannard went to the area, and Tri-State doesn’t have a security camera behind the store, Lehmitz said. “We’re still trying to track down the time he was last seen,” Lehmitz said. “Alcohol, we believe at this point, may have been a contributing factor.” Cannard and his girlfriend had recently relocated from the Coeur d’Alene area and had been staying in various motels around Moscow, Lehmitz said.