With questions about the death of his brother still lingering more than two years after he was found dead inside a burned vehicle in Onalaska in January 2022, Garrett Farrier is planning another protest to bring more attention to the case.
The protest is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday, June 28, at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center and courthouse with the goal of boosting the investigation into the death of Ostynn Farrier, who also went by “Ott” or “Otti.” He was 26 years old.
“We all need some answers on what happened to him,” Garret Farrier told The Chronicle on June 9.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office was called at 2:40 a.m. on Jan. 22, 2022, to respond to a fully-engulfed vehicle in the 800 block of Larmon Road in Onalaska. Ostynn Farrier’s body was found in the vehicle.
An autopsy later confirmed Ostynn Farrier had ash in his lungs, indicating he was alive and breathing for at least some time while the truck was on fire.
The Lewis County Coroner’s Office later determined Ostynn Farrier’s cause of death was thermal injuries and inhalation of products of combustion.
Because his death was directly caused by the fire, Ostynn Farrier’s manner of death is undetermined until investigators determine the cause of the fire, according to the Lewis County Coroner’s Office. If the cause of the fire is determined to be arson, for example, the manner of death would be homicide.
Ostynn Farrier’s father, Ed Farrier, spoke to The Chronicle in May 2023 in an effort to bring more attention to the case, expressing frustration that there had been no breaks in the investigation.
“I’d like to see justice,” he said at the time. “It would mean that somebody didn’t get away with something that should be taken care of … It isn’t going to bring Ott back, it isn’t going to help me see my grandkids, but it will help. A lot.”
Ed Farrier, who said at the time he had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, has since died.
Garrett Farrier last held a protest to bring attention to his brother’s case in August 2023.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend the June 28 protest.
For updates and more information, visit the Facebook group “Justice for Otti” at https://www.facebook.com/groups/825634749439826.
