Cause Of Death May Remain Mystery

The specific cause of death for Bradley Wren may never be known, the King County medical examiner’s office said.

King County police Sgt. Matt Bachmeier has been charged with aggravated murder in Wren’s death. He has pleaded innocent.

Wren’s remains were found Sunday on a trail at Cougar Mountain Regional Park, south of Bellevue.

The advanced decomposition of the body has prevented investigators from determining the cause of death other than “homicidal violence,” the medical examiner’s office said Thursday.

Wren, 35, of Preston, had been missing since August and was identified by dental records.

Prosecutors contend Bachmeier, 49, torched his Renton home July 9 for the insurance on it. When Renton police began investigating the suspicious fire, he looked for someone to take the blame.

That person was Wren, whom prosecutors say Bachmeier forced to make a false confession to the arson. Bachmeier is accused of killing Wren and hiding the body in an attempt to make it look like Wren disappeared.

Trial is scheduled for April 14 in King County Superior Court.