WA WA - Davis Long, 57, left home 4am in Longview WA to drive to work in Portland OR, car found torched on logging road in Randle, WA, 12 Mar 2025

[Unalienable Rights]

Davis A. Long
Age: 57
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 230 lbs
Wearing: Long-sleeved, navy blue "Maersk" polo shirt
Residence: Longview, WA
Employment: Truck driver for Maersk in Portland, OR

The following link includes a video with the article.

Family of Longview man missing for a week asking for tips

After nearly a week of unknowns, the family of missing Longview resident Davis A. Long is asking anyone with tips or information to please come forward.

www.kptv.com

Davis A. Long left his home in Longview, WA at 4:00 a.m. on March 12, 2025 to drive to his job as a truck drive for Maersk in Portland, OR. He was driving his 2015 silver Kia Forte.

Portland, OR is 49.5 miles south of Longview, WA via I-5 south.

His Kia Forte was found, torched, on a logging road in Randle, WA in Lewis County. Randle, WA is 78.5 miles NE of Longview, WA, via I-5 north and US-12 east.

Longview Police Department is actively investigating, coordinating with the Lewis County Sheriff's Office. They have used drones and K-9 units.

Anyone with information on Davis A. Long’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Longview Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit at 360-442-5800, or the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

 

[GraceG]

I grew up in the area, and have made the drive between Longview and Portland hundreds of times most recently when my Dad was in assisted living in Kelso until 2021.

It was always a a safe drive growing up - lots of business/gas stations and such along the way if you need anything. One thing I noted in the last 10 years is the increasing number of homeless living near and loitering near the on and off ramps both in Longview and approaching Vancouver/Portland. It got to where I wouldn't stop for gas as I neared Portland on 205 (splits off from I-5 to Portland, the usual route to the airport coming from the north) as I was always confronted by panhandlers looking for some cash. Some were nice but a few were aggressive to the point I didn't feel comfortable stopping any longer - I'd get gas before I left Longview, and not near the freeway. That's just my opinion and experience as a female driving alone anyway.

I wonder if this man's family knows if he is the kind of personality that would have picked up a hitchhiker?

 

[swanniee11]

His FB Davis Long

 

[GraceG]

His employer listed address is just west of the airport so he would have taken the 205 branch off of I-5 to get there. Honestly though, with the car being found that far north of his departure point, I am not personally thinking he made it to Portland. 13110 NE Airport Way Suite 1 · 13110 NE Airport Way, Portland, OR 97230

I found his home address through the White pages. I'm familiar with the area as I went to R.A. Long High School which is not far from there. From there he could have gone past Lake Sacajawea and taken Tenant way to the I-5 interchange. That particular entrance to the freeway has few hitchhikers or panhandlers, at least when I was there last. That's the way I always went from my childhood home to Portland.

OR he could have taken 32nd north from his home up to Ocean Beach Highway, which takes you across the Allen Street bridge into Kelso and picked up I-5 there. There's more gas stations and fast foot/coffee spots along that way to pick up a bite and a drink if it's super early. That area has more of a transient population near the freeway, which may have nothing to do with his dispapearrance but just noting it here.
Here is the mapquest view of Randle where his car was found. Randle, WA Map & Directions - MapQuest

 

[Cedars]

The major issue, any time a vehicle is found in a remote area, is how did the driver leave, where could they have gone?

Especially, if you imagine it was a crime, you must figure out how far it would have been for the criminal to walk back to 'civilization', and how likely they would have been to do that. What advantage would that confer to, for eg, a homeless person?

Otherwise, there must be have been two vehicles, so that the criminal could get a ride out from the wilderness.

The only other alternative is the driver never got back to civilization and is out in the woods.

JMO

 

[GraceG]

The major issue, any time a vehicle is found in a remote area, is how did the driver leave, where could they have gone?

Especially, if you imagine it was a crime, you must figure out how far it would have been for the criminal to walk back to 'civilization', and how likely they would have been to do that. What advantage would that confer to, for eg, a homeless person?

Otherwise, there must be have been two vehicles, so that the criminal could get a ride out from the wilderness.

The only other alternative is the driver never got back to civilization and is out in the woods.

JMO

I'm thinking whoever drove the vehicle there knew the area - it's not a place one would accidentally find. With the remoteness, combined with the vehicle being "torched" (as opposed to having been involved in an accident and caught fire) I think someone was trying to hide something. That will be key, IMO, to finding Mr. Long.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Davis Long was last seen on March 11, 2025, at 4am and was to be heading to work in Portland, Oregon via Industrial/Talley Way Exit. He did not show up to work. His personal vehicle, a 2015 silver Kia Forte, was found torched off a logging round in Randle, Washington. He was wearing navy blue work pants and long-sleeved polo shirt with MAERSK embroidered on the front. He is described to have salt and pepper hair and beard.

Missing Person: Davis Long Missing from Longview, Washington | Missing People in America

Missing person: Davis Long, last seen in Longview, Washington. Please help find them.

missingpeopleinamerica.org

 

[mimi_montage]

I'm local to Longview. Randle is way out there. Not somewhere you just end up. Someone put the car where they did to get it out of the way. I agree it's a big key to this. Hoping for good news soon in this case.

 

[tealrose]

I can only see two real possibilities here.

One, he left intentionally.
Two, someone jacked his car, likely before he ever crossed over into Oregon.

I'd like to be wrong and he be safe somewhere.

 

[GraceG]

I can only see two real possibilities here.

One, he left intentionally.
Two, someone jacked his car, likely before he ever crossed over into Oregon.

I'd like to be wrong and he be safe somewhere.

I'm leaning away from carjacking - not at 4 in the morning. Longview isn't like Chicago where the carjackings go on in the wee hours. Even Interstate 5 is pretty quiet that early in the morning, I used to leave my Dad's about then to make PDX for the early flight home to ORD and I was about the only one on the freeway except for a few semis.

 

[bluestsocks]

I'm leaning away from carjacking - not at 4 in the morning. Longview isn't like Chicago where the carjackings go on in the wee hours. Even Interstate 5 is pretty quiet that early in the morning, I used to leave my Dad's about then to make PDX for the early flight home to ORD and I was about the only one on the freeway except for a few semis.

Yeah I am also leaning away from a random carjacking. It’s certainly possible, but generally you wouldn’t drive a car out to a super remote area to torch it in a carjacking. It happens, of course, but it brings up all kinds of issues when you could just drive it to an alley and set it on fire if you’re worried about leaving evidence behind.

 

[starlightstarbright]

Also begs the question of what’s the point of carjacking a car just to drive it to a forest service road and torch it? And what would you do with Davis if not dumped where you took the car or torched in the car to hide evidence? I’d assume if you were going to steal a car just for the thrill and torch it, you wouldn’t take your chances with one with a big male driving it who could possibly be more armed than you. JMO

 

[Knox]

His FB Davis Long

The picture on this page and the one in MSM look very different?

 

[swanniee11]

The picture on this page and the one in MSM look very different?

His family posted it?????

 

[GraceG]

His family posted it?????

The facebook photo was from 2022 and the actual photo may have been taken prior to that. His face looks thinner now, and his facial hair is more groomed. He likely now, in 2025, looks more like the MSM photo if it's a recent one provided by family.

 

[Knox]

Which photo of David is the most recent? Sort of important if we need to recognize him.

 

[Chimera]

I'm a bit fearful of self harm, tbh.
Hope he just needed to get away for a bit.
The car being torched could be other things, though.
Was a container of fuel nearby with his prints on it ?
Imo.

 

[Cryptic]

Also begs the question of what’s the point of carjacking a car just to drive it to a forest service road and torch it?

Then add that statistically, 2015 Kias, are not exactly hot targets for either planed (cruising for certain makes and models), nor impulsive- spontaneously reaction to a target of opportunity, car jackings.

Though any car has value and a down and out person will act on targets that others would pass on, thinking the statistical odds could move away from the car jacking scenario.

 

[Knox]

<modsnip - quoted post was removed>

If he wanted to disappear himself, setting the car on fire in a remote area could make sense. Think Brett Detamore. If he stopped somewhere on the way to work and was car-jacked - it doesn't make sense for a car-jacker to drive to the middle of nowhere. Set the car on fire, then take Davis away.

Unless he was specifically targeted, that just doesn't seem likely.

 

[starlightstarbright]

I don’t think I fully appreciated how completely in the opposite direction where his car was found is (Randle, WA) from his work in Portland. Literally he would have gone the exact opposite way almost as soon as he left home. Do we know if anyone was home with him when he left? I assume his wife was home but likely asleep, but we don’t know. Whatever happened feels like it happened very close to home before he veered off in an unexpected direction. JMO

I’ve mapped the distance between Longview and Randle. You can see Portland to the south.