Body Found In Valley, Another On Riverbank Man Discovered Behind Gas Station Named

A man’s body was found next to a fence in the Spokane Valley on Friday, and another dead man was discovered on a riverbank in west Spokane.

The body found behind an East Sprague gas station was identified late Friday as Bruce D. Bohnet, 40, E10818 Fairview.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Department got a call just before 8 a.m. from someone at Eljay’s gas station, E7415 Sprague, reporting a body wedged against and underneath a cyclone fence behind the parking lot on Park Road.

There were no signs of foul play, Sheriff John Goldman said, but investigators carefully inspected the area, including the dirt parking lot at KC Auto Paint and Supplies Inc., just behind Eljay’s on Park Road.

Bohnet, whose feet were bare, could have died from hypothermia, Goldman said.

Authorities said Bohnet was with some people at a restaurant in the Valley on Thursday night, then at a hot tub party.

Following a dispute at the party, people grabbed clothing quickly, and the man ended up with the pants of another person, whose wallet was in the pants, said sheriff’s Lt. John Simmons. That person was located Friday.

“How (Bohnet) got where he is and the exact circumstances are unclear,” Goldman said.

An autopsy is planned, Simmons said.

Police and fire officials recovered the body of another man from the Spokane River after it was spotted on the north bank near the Sans Souci West Mobile Home Park about 1 p.m. The area is in the West 3200 block of Boone.

Police have not confirmed his identity.

Two men have jumped off the Monroe Street Bridge this month, and search and rescue workers couldn’t find either man.

A police officer saw a man leap from the bridge Feb. 1. Divers rushed to Peaceful Valley just west of downtown but didn’t see any sign of the jumper.

A second man leaped from the bridge Feb. 9.