Sultan man investigated for 1982 murder of Cashmere man
Published 1:30 am Saturday, March 4, 2017
SULTAN — A second look into a 1982 missing person case in Eastern Washington led to the arrest of a Sultan man Friday.
Bernard Swaim, 60, of Sultan, was arrested for investigation of first-degree murder, according to a press release. Chelan County sheriff’s detectives said he was being held in connection with the disappearance of Stephen E. Smith, of Cashmere.
Family members reported Smith missing on July 18, 1982. He was 30, police said.
His car, a 1966 Pontiac Tempest, was abandoned on Deadman’s Hill Road in Chelan County. Smith has not been found.
The investigation was closed in 1982. Detectives picked it back up in 2016. Interviews connected Swaim with the missing man, police said.
Anyone with information about the disappearance of Smith is asked to call the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office at 509-667-6842. Tips also can be submitted online.
