He was found dead near Prosser. Now deputies know who he is
Deputies identified the man found dead two weeks ago along Interstate 82 as a Benton City man.
Benjamin D. Newcomb, 48, was found Jan. 17 lying next to a barbed-wire fence near Sales Yard Road. He’d been dead for four to five days, said Benton County sheriff’s investigators.
The man appeared to have died from natural causes.
After almost a week of investigating, deputies didn’t know who he was. They contacted a Washington State Patrol sketch artist, who drew a picture of the man.
After releasing the sketch, they received several calls from people who recognized Newcomb. The Washington State Patrol Crime Lab checked his fingerprints and confirmed who he was.
Newcomb knew someone who lives near Sales Yard Road, and that’s likely the reason he was in the area when he died, said sheriff’s Commander Steve Caughey.
Newcomb was living with his father, and hadn’t been seen for a couple of weeks, said Benton County Sgt. Bob Brockman.
The last address listed for him was on Red Mountain Road in Benton City. He also lived in Richland.
Cameron Probert: 509-582-1402, @cameroncprobert
This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 1:53 PM with the headline "He was found dead near Prosser. Now deputies know who he is."