OR OR - David 'Dave' Lewis, 46, Ashland, 4 September 2008

[Sillybilly]

Way cool @Sleuth2010! Welcome back as an insider! Very interesting that we have not one but TWO VI's on this thread!

Thank you, Sillybilly!

And Thank YOU for the love emoji, gemmie. We don't get a boatload of those

 

[Gemmie]

And Thank YOU for the love emoji, gemmie. We don't get a boatload of those

LOL!

 

[Sleuth2010]

Time Line - - -

Two fire calls Thursday September 4, 2008

2:34 am: First call complete structural fire # 18196 Dead Indian Memorial Road, Ashland, Jackson County, Oregon.
" Keno cabin," less than 5 miles to Dave's. Lily Glen area & Hyatt Lake access.

3:10 am: #12801 Dead Indian Memorial Road. Residence of Dave Lewis, fully engulfed. " Had been burning a long time."

 

[Charlot123]

This Mail Tribune article was retrieved from The Wayback Machine, a web archive.

The fires happened in the very early morning hours of September 4th, a Thursday.

This was one of the first articles mentioning Dave's death after the fire, dated Friday September 5th, 2008.

MailTribune.com: Man dies in one of two cabin fires

Firefighters discovered a badly burned body in one of two cabins destroyed by separate fires along Dead Indian Memorial Road early Thursday.

web.archive.org

A driver on Dead Indian Memorial Road spotted and reported the first fire near the intersection with Keno Access Road just before 3 a.m., said Gene Davies, chief of the all-volunteer Greensprings Fire and Rescue. A crew of six volunteers found the small, rustic cabin at 18196 Dead Indian Memorial Road engulfed in flames, he said. Oregon Department of Forestry firefighters joined the fight against the flames. Crews used three water tanker trucks and a portable water pond to douse the flames, but the weekend retreat burned to the ground.

At about 4 a.m., 9-1-1 calls from the Ashland Mine Road area reported seeing flames on the hillside across the valley, Jackson County Fire District No. 5 Chief Dan Marshall said. As district trucks headed up from the valley below, crews from the earlier fire roughly five miles down the road spotted the flames shooting into the sky and were the first to arrive at the burning cabin, he said.

Attached: Picture of the cabin at 12801 before the fire from Jackson County Assessors

A sad story. Sorry for the loss of everyone who was dear to Dave.

It is somewhat sad that a man living alone on the property was prevented from keeping a firearm that he obviously needed due to the type of a felony that today would be considered archaic and probably, not a felony at all.

 

[Lilibet]

A sad story. Sorry for the loss of everyone who was dear to Dave.

It is somewhat sad that a man living alone on the property was prevented from keeping a firearm that he obviously needed due to the type of a felony that today would be considered archaic and probably, not a felony at all.

It’s very sad. If, as has been hinted at on the Lewis Family blog posted from Wayback earlier that Dave knew his attacker, and had no definite reason to anticipate violence, a gun may not have been a protection if he was caught unaware. But I do get your point.

https://web.archive.org/web/20150704192340/http://themurderofdavelewis.webs.com/

 

[Red Clover]

It’s very sad. If, as has been hinted at on the Lewis Family blog posted from Wayback earlier that Dave knew his attacker, and had no definite reason to anticipate violence, a gun may not have been a protection if he was caught unaware. But I do get your point.

https://web.archive.org/web/20150704192340/http://themurderofdavelewis.webs.com/

Dave told me he had some kind of pellet gun or something like that, that he used in his battle with the squirrels for his garden. It wasn't technically legal for him to have any kind of gun but it was useful for someone that lived that far from other people. Even if he'd been able to get to the phone that night, I don't know if it would have made a difference, it takes a long time for emergency services to respond in rural areas. His cabin was burned to the ground by the time help did arrive. Sadly, someone had the upper hand that night, and either caught him off guard or were able to disable him before he could defend himself or call for help.

 

[Lilibet]

Dave told me he had some kind of pellet gun or something like that, that he used in his battle with the squirrels for his garden. It wasn't technically legal for him to have any kind of gun but it was useful for someone that lived that far from other people. Even if he'd been able to get to the phone that night, I don't know if it would have made a difference, it takes a long time for emergency services to respond in rural areas. His cabin was burned to the ground by the time help did arrive. Sadly, someone had the upper hand that night, and either caught him off guard or were able to disable him before he could defend himself or call for help.

I’ve lived on 10 acres in a rural part of California (Humboldt county in the “Emerald Triangle”) where the sheriff was 30 minutes away. We had a very volatile neighbor several acres away who shouted threats, shot up mailboxes and shot at a neighbor’s house. It was our personal choice not to own guns which we felt would only escalate most situations rather than protect us. But we had some scary moments one particular night until the sheriff arrived. Living in the boonies is a risk, and even if he had been heavily armed, I doubt Dave could have survived whatever kind of ambush took place. Was Dave “betrayed by a kiss” by someone he loved and trusted?

 

[Red Clover]

I’ve lived on 10 acres in a rural part of California (Humboldt county in the “Emerald Triangle”) where the sheriff was 30 minutes away. We had a very volatile neighbor several acres away who shouted threats, shot up mailboxes and shot at a neighbor’s house. It was our personal choice not to own guns which we felt would only escalate most situations rather than protect us. But we had some scary moments one particular night until the sheriff arrived. Living in the boonies is a risk, and even if he had been heavily armed, I doubt Dave could have survived whatever kind of ambush took place. Was Dave “betrayed by a kiss” by someone he loved and trusted?

Living in the boonies can be very risky. Dave had lost a neighbor to a heart attack (that year?) and the man's wife was a nurse and couldn't save him, neither could emergency services when they arrived. I think that event really hit home, Dave knew how vulnerable he was living alone, that you could die from an accident or a medical emergency or any number of tragedies before help could be summoned. That last winter on the summit had been brutal. Things happen.

But whatever happened, It was both calculated and cowardly to attack Dave in his home, so late at night when he was probably tired and ready for bed.

I'm not a psychologist but I've often wondered what kind of ruthlessness has to be cultivated to even go there. How mad do you have to be?

I've never understood why he wasn't able to defend himself, to prevent the entire series of events from happening.

Clearly, someone knew his routes and routine. He was a creature of habit. One of the most disturbing aspects is just how up close and personal this was.

IMO, he was ambushed soon after getting home from Hyatt Lake. What was the conflict?
Why wasn't he more onguard?
Was he followed and confronted? Was he already home and surprised?
Did he know the person well and reasonably believed that they wouldn't hurt him?
Was he able to fend them off until they used a gun?

There's still so many questions.

Who had the means, motivation and opportunity to harm Dave?

Is it one of the people named in the now defunct website or has that been the only narrative available for the last almost 15 years?

Going back to: https://web.archive.org/web/20150704192340/http://themurderofdavelewis.webs.com/

Why hasn't there been more news, or more reports from LE? Is it because there's only conspiracies?
I mean it cannot be ALL these possibilities at the same time.

What is the simplest answer?
What makes the most sense?

WHO makes the most sense?

Is there a reason more friends and family haven't come forward in 14.5 years? IMO, yes; because there have been so many unfair accusations, and over the years, I've seen good folks hacked, impersonated, bullied, harassed, asked to lie, or intimidated until they retreated into silence.

Most of Dave's friends and family are standing on the sidelines in silence. Ever hopeful but afraid to speak out.

It hasn't been an easy decision to come forward after so long. At this point, I feel like time is on our side, on Dave's side. The fog has begun to clear. The inconsistencies glisten. There's nowhere to hide. I remain hopeful we can unravel this web.

 

[Red Clover]

A fair question:
Did the person(s) who brought a gun to Dave's place know that he could not legally possess a gun?

 

[citizen_sleuth]

Wow, Dave's case sounds shockingly similar to my family member's murder in 2001. He also lived in a rural area and his house burned down. Initially it was believed to be accidental but after authorities investigated, they reclassified it as a homicide. No suspects have ever been identified in his case, but my family believes it may have had something to do with his son.

Did Dave have any family members/friends who may have had access to the property? Did he keep valuables in the house?

 

[Red Clover]

A sad story. Sorry for the loss of everyone who was dear to Dave.

It is somewhat sad that a man living alone on the property was prevented from keeping a firearm that he obviously needed due to the type of a felony that today would be considered archaic and probably, not a felony at all.

Unfortunately, David and others were convicted on federal charges, so it would still be illegal for him to possess a firearm even today.
A fair question I think:
Did the person who killed him know that he didn't have guns?

 

[Red Clover]

Wow, Dave's case sounds shockingly similar to my family member's murder in 2001. He also lived in a rural area and his house burned down. Initially it was believed to be accidental but after authorities investigated, they reclassified it as a homicide. No suspects have ever been identified in his case, but my family believes it may have had something to do with his son.

Did Dave have any family members/friends who may have had access to the property? Did he keep valuables in the house?

I'm so sorry that you suffered a loss like this. These things never make sense and to have no suspects named and to have someone seemingly "get away with it" is disheartening.

Dave was a friendly, family oriented guy. He definitely had visitors and even though he lived alone he wasn't a loner or a hermit. He was well known and well loved. He was outspoken and held others to a high moral standard. He expected people to do the right thing.

He had several vehicles, including work trucks, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, dirt bikes, welding, carpentry, and forestry equipment. He was naturally crafty and lived very simply in his old but clean & cozy cabin overlooking the valley.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, he also had two uncashed checks on his windowsill as part of his inheritance after his mother's death.

He didn't feel the need to cash them, but he had been pressured to "give" part of his to a family member. He had told them no, but he told me that he "expected them to just show up "

I've always wondered if they did.

 

[Red Clover]

Sister of missing man offers $20,000 reward | MailTribune.com

The sister of a man feared dead after a body was found inside his burned-out cabin on Dead Indian Memorial Road early last month is offering a $20,000 reward for the arrest of whomever is responsible for the suspicious disappearance of David E. Lewis.

web.archive.org

An autopsy was done, but Winters declined to release the cause of death. He said details of the investigation can't be made public, but said detectives are tracking down every clue.

 

[Red Clover]

'The most loving man on the mountain' | MailTribune.com

Friends and family of David Edwin Lewis continue to mourn the man they called "the most loving man on the mountain" while they await word on suspicious fires that destroyed his house and one other on Dead Indian Memorial Road Thursday.

web.archive.org

Fournier said Lewis passed his abiding love for the land and all wildlife, care for his fellow humans and attention to detail to their sons.

"He taught his boys the simple pleasures," she said.

 

[Lilibet]

>Respectfully snipped for focus<

Who had the means, motivation and opportunity to harm Dave?

Is it one of the people named in the now defunct website or has that been the only narrative available for the last almost 15 years?

Going back to: https://web.archive.org/web/20150704192340/http://themurderofdavelewis.webs.com/

Why hasn't there been more news, or more reports from LE? Is it because there's only conspiracies?
I mean it cannot be ALL these possibilities at the same time.

View attachment 404475

What has always puzzled me about “The murder of Dave Lewis” blog is the scattershot approach to implicating by innuendo a number of possible suspects. You’ve got the Hyatt Lake campground development, an informal test of drunkenness by the sheriffs (it’s very clear the writer didn’t trust then-sheriff M.W.), B.B. helicopters and something about a fatal crash, training of Chinese helicopter pilots, and more that I’ve probably forgotten. Is that to show that Dave had quite a few enemies? But I can’t really make the clear connection between the entities and events mentioned potentially leading to Dave and his murder. Perhaps that is deliberate in order to avoid a lawsuit? As you said @Red Clover, the theories presented only involve conspiracies and it cannot be all these possibilities at the same time. Even one seems far-fetched.

ETA: I neglected to include your questions when I snipped your post for focus:

“What is the simplest answer?
What makes the most sense?

WHO makes the most sense?”

Regarding the simplest answer, we often refer to Occam’s Razor on Websleuths when looking at different theories regarding a case.

Occam’s razor

Occam’s razor is a principle often attributed to 14th - century friar William of Ockham that says that if you have two competing ideas to explain the same phenomenon, you should prefer the simpler one. Many other people before and after the friar, including Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton, have...

www.newscientist.com

“Occam’s razor is a principle often attributed to 14th century friar William of Ockham that says that if you have two competing ideas to explain the same phenomenon, you should prefer the simpler one.”

“You can think of it in terms of basic probability theory. All things can be ascribed a probability of happening. As such, any assumptions you add to your theory introduce further possibilities for error, and if an assumption isn’t improving the accuracy of a theory, it just increases the probability the theory is wrong.”

So the simplest explanation is usually the most likely (which is why a close associate or family member is often the one we look at first, sometimes unfairly) and this brings us back to “who had the means, motivation and opportunity” to murder Dave?

JMO

ETA: Added for relevance.

 

[Lilibet]

Wow, Dave's case sounds shockingly similar to my family member's murder in 2001. He also lived in a rural area and his house burned down. Initially it was believed to be accidental but after authorities investigated, they reclassified it as a homicide. No suspects have ever been identified in his case, but my family believes it may have had something to do with his son.

Did Dave have any family members/friends who may have had access to the property? Did he keep valuables in the house?

I’m so sorry you’ve had a similar experience @citizen_sleuth. It can be really hard for LE to gather enough firm evidence for an arrest, let alone a trial, even when there is an obvious suspect. It’s very frustrating for both family and LE. We have so many cases like that on WS.

Here is the link to your uncle’s case… PA - PA - Orie Donald Esh, 62, Oliver Twp., homicide - house set on fire, 6 September 2001

I really think your last two sentences are the most likely answers in Dave’s case.
JMO

 

[Lilibet]

'The most loving man on the mountain' | MailTribune.com

Friends and family of David Edwin Lewis continue to mourn the man they called "the most loving man on the mountain" while they await word on suspicious fires that destroyed his house and one other on Dead Indian Memorial Road Thursday.

web.archive.org

Fournier said Lewis passed his abiding love for the land and all wildlife, care for his fellow humans and attention to detail to their sons.

"He taught his boys the simple pleasures," she said.

What a beautiful tribute to Dave from those closest to him!

 

[Gemmie]

I’m so sorry you’ve had a similar experience @citizen_sleuth. It can be really hard for LE to gather enough firm evidence for an arrest, let alone a trial, even when there is an obvious suspect. It’s very frustrating for both family and LE. We have so many cases like that on WS.

Here is the link to your uncle’s case… PA - PA - Orie Donald Esh, 62, Oliver Twp., homicide - house set on fire, 6 September 2001

I really think your last two sentences are the most likely answers in Dave’s case.
JMO

Pssst... c_s is a VI on that thread. It also appears that c_s created it. hehe

 

[Lilibet]

Sister of missing man offers $20,000 reward | MailTribune.com

The sister of a man feared dead after a body was found inside his burned-out cabin on Dead Indian Memorial Road early last month is offering a $20,000 reward for the arrest of whomever is responsible for the suspicious disappearance of David E. Lewis.

web.archive.org

An autopsy was done, but Winters declined to release the cause of death. He said details of the investigation can't be made public, but said detectives are tracking down every clue.

We have had two (?) elected sheriffs since Winters. Has anyone from the family or the press approached either of them asking for the release of the autopsy/cause of death? Has a FOIA request ever been filed?

 

[Lilibet]

Pssst... c_s is a VI on that thread. It also appears that c_s created it. hehe

I know. That’s how I found the thread. I posted the link because I wanted her family member’s case to get some attention. Is there something I’m missing in your post @Gemmie?