VERLOT – The discovery Tuesday of two bodies along a popular hiking trail on Mount Pilchuck has Snohomish County detectives considering multiple explanations – accident, foul play, even a fatal attack by animals.
The only thing that has been ruled out is that the pair ended their own lives, Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy Rich Niebusch said.
“It is a suspicious death so we will investigate it as a homicide,” Niebusch said. He added that investigators haven’t ruled out the possibility that the pair may have died in an attack by a wild animal.
The discovery was reported about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday by hikers who found them more than a mile up the rugged trail to Pinnacle Lake. Niebusch declined to say whether the bodies were found on the trail itself or nearby. He also declined to say whether area nearby was near cliffs or had other natural features that could explain the condition of the bodies.
The man who made the call from the Beaver Lake campground said both victims appeared to be women. Niebusch would only say that both of the dead appeared to be adult hikers and there were obvious signs of trauma.
It is unknown how long the pair has been dead, he said.
Detectives converged on the scene Tuesday afternoon, sealing off the trail and the winding dirt road leading to it off Mountain Loop Highway. Investigators were expected to return to the scene today to continue searching for evidence, Niebusch said.
The trail where the pair were found is located about 20 miles east of Granite Falls. The lake is a popular destination for hikers visiting the east shoulder of Mount Pilchuck. The trail will remain closed until investigators are finished gathering potential evidence at the scene, Niebusch said.
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
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