Account
Jan 22, 2016
Jan 12, 2024
Bret
Snow
41
32
67 inches
69 inches
155 lbs
170 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
In the winter of 2015, the life of 32-year-old Bret R. Snow came to a tragic and mysterious end. He was last seen in Spokane Valley, Washington, on December 3, 2015, a day that marked the beginning of a long and painful search for answers for his family. After he was reported missing by a family member, what started as a missing person case soon transitioned into a complex criminal investigation. Detectives with the Spokane Valley Major Crimes unit began to uncover a sinister plot, leading them to believe that Bret had not just vanished, but had met with foul play. The investigation revealed that his disappearance was likely connected to the local drug trade, a dangerous world that ultimately led to his death. Despite the growing certainty that he was the victim of a homicide, a crucial piece of the puzzle remained missing: Bret himself. As the investigation continued for years without the discovery of his remains, detectives meticulously pieced together the events surrounding his disappearance. Their work led to the identification of several suspects. In December 2016, a year after Bret was last seen, the first arrest was made when investigators arrested 26-year-old Colby D. Vodder in Post Falls, Idaho, charging him with second-degree murder. This arrest was a significant breakthrough and was followed by the arrests of three other individuals: Alvaro Guajardo, Cheryl Sutton, and Kenneth Stone. In an unusual legal progression, between 2019 and 2021, all four individuals were tried, convicted, and sentenced to prison for their respective roles in Bret Snow's murder, all without his body having been found. Prosecutors built a case alleging that Snow was beaten to death and dismembered as part of a drug-related dispute. Even after their convictions, those responsible for his death refused to disclose the location of his remains, leaving his family in a prolonged state of uncertainty. The mystery of Bret's whereabouts began to unravel in September 2018, when a person fly-fishing on the Spokane River discovered a small fragment of a human skull. Two years later, in August 2020, another piece of a skull was found in a different section of the same river. At the time of the discoveries, limited resources prevented immediate DNA analysis, and the fragments were placed into storage. It wasn't until 2022, with the help of American Rescue Plan funds, that the Spokane County Medical Examiner's Office was able to send the remains to a specialized lab in Texas. Using advanced forensic-grade genome sequencing and genetic genealogy, experts determined both fragments belonged to the same person and successfully built a DNA profile. This profile was used to identify potential relatives, ultimately leading investigators to believe the remains were Bret's. A final confirmation came after a DNA sample from Bret's mother was tested, officially identifying the remains as those of Bret Robert Snow in June 2023. This scientific breakthrough finally brought a measure of closure to a case that had been solved through convictions years earlier but remained emotionally unresolved for his loved ones. The case of Bret Snow stands as a testament to the persistence of law enforcement who secured murder convictions without a body, and the power of modern forensic science to finally bring a lost loved one home and provide definitive answers eight years after he vanished.
Dec 03, 2015
Spokane
Washington
Spokane County
99016
No
17910
Spokane County Sheriff's Office
Spokane
Washington
Spokane County
99260
Marc Melville
Detective
1100 West Mallon Avenue, Washington
5094772240
County
Law Enforcement
15-441106
2015-12-15
Spokane County Sheriff's Office
Brown
Brown
Brown
06/23/2026
