Suicide ruled in death of man whose remains were found near Brooks Road in May

The gunshot to the head that killed a man, whose remains were discovered this past May near Brooks Road in West Spokane County, appears to have been self inflicted.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that it has suspended the investigation into the death of the 28-year-old Chuan Yang, whose remains were identified last month by the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office.

“After a thorough investigation and extensive review of the findings, investigators have close the case as a suicide,” sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Mark Gregory wrote in a news release.

He noted that searches of the scene located a .45 caliber Glock handgun and a .45 caliber shell casing near the remains. They also found a Social Security card belonging to Yang. He had purchased the gun in 2015.

Searchers also found clothing, a backpack, bedding, a .45 caliber handgun and a .45 caliber shell casing near the remains, court documents state.

The case started in May when a turkey hunter found what appeared to be a skull partially covered with dirt in a wooded area. Major Crimes detectives then processed the scene.

A nearby resident reported finding a human jaw bone on his property in June. A subsequent search discovered a pair of pants with leg bones inside, along with other bones.