Remains found in backyard grave, man arrested for cold case Newport murder
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Three years after the disappearance of used car salesman Ryan Staggs, an Oregon man was arrested Thursday and charged with his murder, Newport police said.
Murphy Henry, 54, was also charged with abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence, related to the disappearance of Staggs. He was lodged in the Lincoln County Jail.
Police say they uncovered what is believed to be Staggs' human remains at a shallow grave site in remote Lincoln County on Wednesday.
Henry's arrest comes two weeks after a different man, Jack David Baird, was arrested for abuse of a corpse. According to court documents, Baird was seen at Staggs' home the day after he went missing. Witnesses claim that he was digging in his backyard in the days to follow.
A probable cause affidavit links Baird’s arrest to Staggs' disappearance, adding that neighbors heard him screaming at his home the day he disappeared.
Staggs was last seen on Jan. 29, 2022, at his residence located at 175 NW 55th Street in Newport and was reported as a missing person in February 2022.
The investigation is ongoing.
This is a developing story.