2 Oregon bodies linked to missing Pasco man, runaway teen

Portland police found two bodies Wednesday linked to a Pasco man and a runaway teen missing since last week.

Authorities had been looking for Zachary Petersen, 23, of Pasco, and 15-year-old Annieka Vaughan since she ran away Oct. 30 from her home in Aloha, Ore.

Petersen’s empty truck was found Monday on a road in Forest Park in Portland. The 5,000-acre wooded park is popular for hiking and outdoor activities.

Search teams combed some of the park on Tuesday and returned Wednesday morning.

A search team dog found the bodies early Wednesday in steep terrain near the Wildwood Trail and the Upper MacLeay Trail, said Portland Sgt. Chris Burley.

The Portland Police Bureau said that they are not releasing the identities of the people found, but they linked the bodies to the investigation of Petersen’s white Ford pickup.

The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office said autopsy results are not expected to be released for a couple days.

Petersen allegedly called a crisis line before he disappeared Oct. 30. At the time, detectives believed he may be suicidal and possibly armed.

He was last seen in Portland, but detectives at the time thought he was going to Seaside, Ore., or Sacramento.

Vaughan’s father, Rick, told Portland TV stations that his daughter’s disappearance was a surprise.

Petersen pleaded guilty four years ago to trafficking in stolen property and received a reduced sentence.

This week, Benton County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Brockman said the sheriff’s office was about to send the case to prosecutors for possible sexual abuse charges when the pair went missing.

Petersen was under investigation for child rape after the couple was found having sex in a car south of Kennewick in early October.

Brockman said they’ve found no evidence of domestic violence in the relationship, which reportedly started in August.

Petersen’s Facebook page shows he attended Pasco High School and has worked as an ironworker and fence installer. He has a son from a previous marriage.

This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 3:24 PM with the headline "2 Oregon bodies linked to missing Pasco man, runaway teen."