Deputies Need Help Solving Apparent Homicide

Thu., June 10, 1999

From Staff Reports

Spokane County sheriff’s detectives need help in solving the apparent homicide of a homeless man.

The body of Jerald Wayne Rowe, 47, was discovered in a field near Valleyway and Sullivan roads in the Valley on Monday evening.

An autopsy revealed he died of a head injury.

In the days before his death, Rowe had been staying in an abandoned camper trailer in the field with another man, who since has disappeared.

Detectives said Wednesday they believe Rowe arrived in Spokane on May 25 from Staunton, Va., where he had been living.

Investigators are interested in talking to anyone who saw Rowe in Spokane between May 25 and his death.

They also are looking for his traveling companion. That man is white, in his 40s or 50s, about 6 feet 1 inch tall, 140-160 pounds.

He was last seen wearing torn and dirty blue jeans, a red-and-black jacket and a baseball cap with a veterans’ logo.

Anyone with information in the case is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.