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Man found dead in motorhome in Spokane Valley appeared to have been shot, detectives say

Spokane Valley detectives are investigating a man found dead Tuesday inside this parked RV as a homicide. (Courtesy of Spokane County Sheriff's Office)
By Garrett Cabeza garrettc@spokesman.com(509) 459-5135

A man found dead earlier this week in a brown 1988 Winnebago motorhome near a fast food restaurant parking lot appeared to have been shot, according to search warrant documents filed Thursday in Spokane County Superior Court.

The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as 65-year-old Steven Elrod. His cause and manner of death are pending.

The Spokane Valley Police Department is investigating the death as a homicide.

Surveillance cameras captured the motorhome, registered to Elrod, pulling into the parking lot of Zip’s Drive-In, 6525 E. Broadway Ave., at about 1 a.m. Monday, according to search warrant documents. At about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Zip’s manager called law enforcement requesting it contact anyone inside the RV and ask them to leave. The manager previously knocked on the door and received no response.

A deputy responded, knocked on the door and also received no response, according to documents.

A tow truck driver was then called to tow the RV. He knocked on the door of the motorhome, announcing the vehicle needed to be moved or he would tow it, documents say. After no one answered, he opened the door and saw a dead body inside the doorway. He closed the door and called 911 shortly after noon Tuesday, according to documents.

Deputies entered the motorhome and found Elrod face down on the floor.

Investigators found what appeared to be two gunshot wounds to Elrod’s chest when they removed him from the RV.

Detectives believe a broken window and damage to the side of the RV are from bullets fired from outside of the motorhome, according to documents. A shell casing was in the grass near the RV.

Investigators said the motorhome has surveillance cameras mounted to the outside of it, documents say. Detectives will examine any available footage.

Detectives believe Elrod and the RV may have been in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area for several months, according to a police news release.

Detectives are asking for the public’s help in providing information about the RV and anyone associated with it from Sunday to Tuesday while it was in the area of Broadway Avenue and Interstate 90, the release said. They also asked for the public to provide other locations the RV was parked from last month to Sunday.