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

Man found dead in Browne’s Addition not killed, police spokesman says

Police found Jeffrey Stephens dead in his apartment at 2024 W. 2nd Ave. on Saturday. (Will Campbell/The Spokesman-Review)

A man was found dead in his Browne’s Addition apartment last weekend and covered in blankets with the heat running on high, leading detectives to initially believe there could be foul play.

The man, Jeffrey A. Stephens, 49, was found Saturday by his father, who had been trying to reach him for 10 days with no response, according to court documents.

John O’Brien, spokesman for Spokane Police Department, said the death is not considered a murder investigation, but detectives were investigating the death as suspicious.

Stephens’ dad went to the apartment, at 2024 W. 2nd Ave., and found the back door unlocked, he told police. He found his son laying on the floor on his back. Blankets covered his body and a towel was behind his head. Two heaters were running, making the apartment “very warm,” according to court documents.

After searching the apartment, officers found a white crystal substance consistent with meth in the bathroom of the apartment, according to court documents. Stephens also has five felony drug convictions stretching back to 2014, according to Spokane County Superior Court records.

The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s office has not yet released the cause of death.

Stephens’ body showed signs of decomposition when police found him, according to court documents.

Stephens’ dad told police that his son had previously struggled with drug addiction but he was under the impression that he had been clean for years, according to court documents.