Homicide ruled out for Hayden Lake death, cause of man’s death not released

Kenneth B. Caldero’s death was not a homicide as originally thought, but county officials declined Wednesday to say what killed the 35-year-old man who was found seriously injured before dying near Hayden Lake.

A person called 911 the afternoon of Aug. 11 to report an injured man, later identified as Caldero, on his property and blood on the front porch of his residence in the 15000 block of North Hamlet Trail, according to an original Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office news release. Caldero, who had “traumatic injuries,” died at the property.

Law enforcement searched the residence and the immediate area for any other victims and possible suspects, but did not find anyone, the sheriff’s office said.

“Following an extensive investigation, Caldero’s death was determined not to be a homicide and the cause not of a criminal nature,” the sheriff’s office said in an updated release Wednesday. “There is no on-going threat to the community and the Sheriff’s Office is not looking for any outstanding suspect(s).”

Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Ellis said the office is not releasing anymore information because the incident was not criminal.

Jo Ann Porter, Kootenai County deputy coroner, said her office does not release a person’s cause and manner of death other than to the decedent’s direct next of kin.

Caldero, a Kootenai County resident who went by “Brad,” was a U.S. Army sniper in Afghanistan, earning several awards for courage and exemplary service, according to his obituary on Yates Funeral Homes website.

“After his service, he faced an entirely different kind of battle – one that tested every part of him,” his obituary read. “He fought long and hard to find healing and peace. Through it all, his love for his family never wavered. He leaned on them, loved them deeply, and was loved fiercely in return.”

Caldero told a Kootenai County judge at a 2018 sentencing for burglary, grand theft and battering a police officer that he was self-medicating with methamphetamine, according to a Coeur d’Alene Press story.

Caldero has a lengthy criminal history and was shot in the leg while burglarizing a Spokane home in 2020, according to court documents.

His obituary said he had a “special connection to the simple joys in life,” including spending time outdoors and with his loved ones.

“From the very beginning, Brad was such a happy, energetic kid with a big heart and a deep love for animals,” according to his obituary.