Ian Eckles went missing in 2020 and his body has not been found. Prosecutors charged a 40-year-old man with murder and robbery in connection with the killing.
KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash. — Years after a Kent man went missing during a hunting trip outside Cle Elum, charges have been filed against the person suspected of killing him.
Jorge Alcantara Gonzalez, 40, was charged in Kittitas County Wednesday with the murder of Ian Eckles in 2020. Gonzalez was also charged with first-degree robbery.
Eckles’ body has not been found.
“Ian Eckles has never been forgotten by his family, by this office, or by the community that searched for him and followed this case,” said Kittitas County Sheriff Clay Myers. “We are grateful to the prosecutors who have taken on the difficult work of bringing this case before the court, and we remain committed to supporting that process.”
On the night of May 16, 2020, Eckles traveled to the remote Liberty area for a hunting trip with friends. That night, Eckles camped solo and intended to meet up with others the next day, but he never made it.
Eckles was reported missing on May 18 and an investigation was opened.
On May 23, Eckles’ vehicle was found hidden in brush off a remote Forest Service road. As deputies approached it, Alcantara Gonzalez appeared and fled into the forest.
Inside the vehicle, investigators found evidence consistent with a violent encounter, including gunshots.
A manhunt ensued for 23 days. Alcantara Gonzalez was arrested on June 14 while burglarizing a home in the Teanaway Valley.
Alcantara Gonzalez later pleaded guilty and was sentenced for taking or possessing two stolen vehicles, including Eckles’, along with burglaries and thefts.
More than 100 searches were conducted in the area where investigators believe the violent encounter happened in an effort to find Eckles’ body.
Alcantara Gonzalez’s sentence was nearing its end. In view of this, detectives forwarded the case to the Kittitas County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for review. They then filed charges in Kittitas Superior Court.
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