In the quiet town of Sandpoint, Idaho, the life of a young man, Robert Cameroen Hegseth Wohali, was cut short at the age of 26. A male with a reputation for a big smile and a compassionate heart, he was tragically taken just a month before his 27th birthday on March 15, 2019. Known for his love of making leather crafts, cooking, camping, and working on cars, he was remembered as a sweet, loving, and caring individual who was always ready to help people and animals in need.
The
circumstances surrounding his death began to unfold when he was reported missing on Sunday, March 17, 2019. A search was promptly initiated by the Sandpoint Police Department, the Bonner County Sheriff's Office, and the Idaho State Police. During their investigation, detectives received a grim tip that Wohali had been shot and killed. This led them to the discovery of his body on Tuesday, March 19, in a rural area south of Sandpoint. An autopsy would later confirm he died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Early in the investigation, police identified Michael Ryan McDermott as a suspect in Wohali's disappearance and death. Detectives believed that Wohali was killed early on Friday, March 15, at 2208 Great Northern Road. McDermott was arrested and booked into the Bonner County Jail over the weekend on charges unrelated to the homicide. Authorities also recovered a gun they believed to be the weapon used in the shooting.
As the investigation progressed, it came to light that the tragic events may have been set in motion by the theft of Wohali's car, a white early '90s Chevy Camaro, about a week before his disappearance. A family member indicated that he had been arranging to get his car back. While McDermott was initially held on unrelated charges, including providing false information to a police officer, he was a primary suspect in Wohali's death from early on. He was eventually charged in connection with the killing.
