In the quiet woods of Ariel, Washington, a grim discovery was made on the morning of November 11, 2024. The body of 46-year-old Cesar Reyes of Portland was found on a logging road near state Highway 503. An investigation by the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office was launched due to the suspicious nature of his death. It was soon determined that Reyes had died from a gunshot wound to the head, and his death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators believed that he had likely been killed at another location before his body was left on the remote road.
The investigation into the death of the Hispanic male led authorities to a suspect in February 2025. Joseph Klimas III, a 45-year-old from Vancouver, was arrested and booked into the Cowlitz County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. The breakthrough in the case came from information provided by an inmate at the Cowlitz County Jail. This informant alerted authorities to Klimas's alleged involvement in the shooting.
Further evidence against Klimas came from a recorded jail phone call he made to an inmate at the Clark County Jail. In the call, Klimas reportedly spoke of having "done something similar" to the murder charge the inmate was facing. He also mentioned a person by the nickname "Pelon," which was a name used by Cesar Reyes. According to the inmate who came forward, Klimas's motive for the alleged killing was to silence Reyes, who was reportedly sharing information that Klimas did not want disclosed. The ongoing investigation continues to piece together the events that led to the untimely death of Cesar Reyes.
