Missing homeless man located in north Spokane

A 21-year-old homeless man who was kidnapped Saturday was found alive by Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies Wednesday afternoon.

Donavan M. Duncan was apparently kidnapped in his van and taken to a parking lot of Minnehaha Park in northeast Spokane on Saturday.

A man, who was arrested Tuesday, previously had told family members that he killed Duncan before setting his van on fire. That man, 20-year-old Franklin Smith, and a male minor in his mid-teens, were charged Wednesday with first-degree kidnapping and second-degree arson.

But their claims of killing Duncan were false. Deputies said they found Duncan in north Spokane after media reports of the kidnapping.

Until Wednesday, deputies didn’t know if Duncan was alive. According to court documents, deputies talked to family and friends of Smith, who allegedly bragged he had killed Duncan. Smith’s aunt reported to authorities Monday that her daughter received messages on Facebook that Smith said he “had kidnapped the male suspect, tied him up, then kicked him to death,” according to the affidavit.

The minor suspect told deputies he and Smith assaulted Duncan “but then let him go.” He said they returned to the van a few hours later and set it on fire.

Smith apparently told family members he killed Duncan because Duncan allegedly had raped his friend – the same minor who was arrested Tuesday. According to court documents, Spokane police officers responded to a rape call Friday at Holy Family Hospital, where the minor told them Duncan had raped him. Officers witnessed Duncan returning to his blue van with Montana license plates – the same van that was found burning Saturday.

After arresting the two suspects, deputies searched one of their phones and found text messages in which they indicated they had killed Duncan. According to one message, Smith said he “pulled off the highway, kicked his face into the next life” and then asked his friend if he “wanted him to be gone.” The minor apparently shook his head so he took a gas can and “made that van burn.”

Investigators said Smith admitted he knew the van had burned and that Duncan was not inside, according to court documents.

The two suspects also told detectives that a third unidentified person was involved with the kidnapping. They said the person found Duncan at Andrew Rypien Field in Hillyard and brought him to Minnehaha Park. The person apparently called Smith and told him they had Duncan tied up in the back of his own van.

In court Wednesday, before officers had located Duncan, a judge set Smith’s bail at $250,000.