Body Found In Columbia River Identified

Fri., June 27, 1997

From Staff And Wire Reports

A body found floating in the Columbia River has been identified as a 27-year-old Pasco man who left behind a note about love and God, the Franklin County coroner said.

The man was identified through fingerprints as Cidilo Hernandez, Coroner Dan Blasdel said.

Hernandez was last seen a month ago by his minister, but Blasdel said he did not know how long Hernandez had been dead.

His body was found floating downstream of the Pasco Boat Basin on Tuesday. An autopsy determined Hernandez had drowned.

But Blasdel said he has listed the cause of death as undetermined because he does not know how Hernandez ended up in the river.

A telephone card and note found with Hernandez could offer more leads as to how he died, Blasdel said.

The note, which was written in Spanish, translated into references to “a female, love and eternal God,” Blasdel said.

Blasdel said he may subpoena the records from the telephone card because the person whom he suspects Hernandez called with the card may have information about his death.

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