Remains found in Colfax last month identified as man missing since 2016

Human remains discovered last month in the Colfax area have been identified as Michael Shawn Garcia, who had been missing nearly a decade, according to the Colfax Police Department.

On Dec. 22, a woman walking her dog on South Palouse River Road outside Colfax reported finding the remains, which were transported to the Whitman County Coroner’s Office.

Garcia, born in 1968, was from Colfax and had been missing since July 2016, police said. Because of the amount of time passed, police said they are unsure of Garcia’s cause and manner of death.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Investigator Carlos Trevino at (509) 724-9387 or Chief Mike Melcher at (509) 397-4615.