Arson suspect's body found in mountains

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Story Published: Sep 22, 2008 at 2:20 PM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 2:38 AM PDT

By Greg Meyer

MOSCOW - The search for a Latah County arson suspect is over.

A body discovered in rural Shoshone County Saturday is Dallas Strunk. The Latah County Sheriff's Office had been looking for Strunk since July, when a fatal arson fire claimed his 88-year-old mother's life.

The Sheriff's Office said hunters located the body in the Freezeout Ridge area. Shoshone County Sheriff's deputies were able to identify the body and Latah County investigators confirmed it.

Strunk's 1987 Volvo was recovered on Freezeout Ridge about a week after the search began for him. It had been destroyed by fire. Strunk's body was found in the same area, according to Shoshone County Sheriff Chuck Reynalds. Reynalds said Monday, that Latah County deputies were trying to locate a camp where Strunk may have been based.

Reynalds said he helped remove the body and that it appeared Strunk died of natural causes. Reynalds said Strunk was emaciated and was not dressed appropriately for the conditions at the elevation he was found. Reynalds said no foul play is suspected and he is recommending an autopsy not be performed.

Reynalds said no firearm was found on Strunk or nearby.

Shoshone County is investigating Strunk's death. Meanwhile, Latah County investigators say they will continue looking into the deadly fire.

Strunk had been arrested for arson charges in the past and Latah County Sheriff Wayne Rausch said statements Strunk made following his 2005 arrest for arson were "incredibly bizarre."

"He's made statements that he's doing these things for God or some angelic creature. At one point he told one of our officers that he was waiting on a mountain for the spaceship to come pick him up, " Rausch said during an interview in July.

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