The law firm representing Aron Christensen’s estate and family has submitted a complaint to the Washington state Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC), requesting an investigation into the 49-year-old Portland man’s death.
Christensen was shot in August 2022 while hiking near Walupt Lake in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. He died from his injuries.
Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer in 2023 declined to file charges against Ethan M. Asbach, the 19-year-old Tenino resident who admitted to firing his father’s 9mm handgun at Christensen, citing a lack of physical evidence at the scene and frustration with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office’s (LCSO) handling of the initial investigation.
In his declination letter, Meyer referenced Deputy Andrew G. Scrivner’s failure to preserve the crime scene before the coroner’s arrival. Scrivner called off detectives and moved the bodies of Christensen and his puppy, Buzzo, who had also been fatally shot.
The April 10 complaint is also addressed to the Washington state Forensic Investigations Council and the Lewis County Board of Commissioners. In it, attorney Pilar French alludes to the family’s civil claims, but says their desire is “correction and change.”
The complaint, French says, is directed against the LCSO, Scrivner, Detective James McGinty, Deputy Sgt. Alan Stull and the Lewis County Coroner’s Office (LCCO).
“They request the WSCJTC, the Governor's Office, and the Lewis County Commissioners to investigate and rectify the negligence and/or misconduct of LCSO, LCCO, and their representatives,” the complaint says.
French describes the state’s “vested interest” in addressing the complaint, noting its promotion of outdoor recreation, and visitor expenditures that generated $25.1 billion in revenue in 2024.
More than 5.6 million people visited Lewis County in 2023, according to Discover Lewis County.
“What visitors and citizens may not know is that if a crime occurs in Lewis County's wilderness area, LCSO and LCCO are either not trained, or may disregard their training, to conduct a proper investigation — including the basic obligation to preserve the crime scene and collect evidence in a careful and cogent manner,” the complaint says.
The 11-page complaint includes a description of events leading up to Christensen and Buzzo’s deaths, such as Asbach and his girlfriend's evening hike near the Walupt Lake Campground.
Asbach would later say he heard growling and — in fear of a wild animal attack — fired the gun at the animal, whose eyes had been illuminated by his headlamp.
Instead of a wild animal, Asbach found Christensen and Buzzo’s bodies.
“Ethan admitted to seeing a bullet hole in Aron's body, but claimed that he only fired one shot and the bullet must have gone through Buzzo and into Aron's body,” the complaint says.
French says that Asbach and his girlfriend “at no time” sought help from the “hundreds of people” at the Walupt Lake Campground, nor did they call 911.
The complaint outlines critical missteps made by Scrivner after hikers reported the found remains on Aug. 20, 2022, including the deputy’s intention to “pack the male out,” despite orders from dispatch “not to move the body if there was anything suspicious.”
“Unless LCSO failed to adequately train Scrivner, Scrivner knew or should have known that he was obligated to treat every death as a homicide until homicide could be ruled out,” the complaint says.
According to the complaint, Scrivner “advised his superiors to call off the detectives and coroner” and had volunteers help transport Christensen and Buzzo to the campground.
Under state law, only the coroner had jurisdiction over Christensen’s remains, French says.
The complaint further alleges that the LCSO missed a crucial opportunity to gather evidence by not seeking a search warrant for Asbach’s belongings — outside of the gun and headlamps Asbach’s father agreed to provide investigators.
“As a result, no forensic testing was ever conducted on their clothing and camping equipment,” the complaint says. “Ethan had advised that he only fired one shot that apparently went through Buzzo and then lodged into Aron; he also disclosed that he picked up the casing.”
The complaint also notes Christensen’s missing wallet.
“The discovery of the missing wallet had no impact on the prosecutor's decision to close his file. Nor did it trigger further investigation by LCSO, which apparently never conducted any investigation to determine whether Aron's credit cards or bank accounts were accessed after he passed,” the complaint says.
The LCSO and LCCO created “further confusion” when speaking with Christensen’s family.
In one conversation, according to the complaint, LCCO Deputy Coroner Susan Anderson told Christensen’s brother that Christensen’s wound did not seem suspicious.
The pathologist who conducted Christensen’s autopsy, Megan Quinn, reportedly told Meyer she had “felt like LSCO was trying to push her into adopting a narrative” that Christensen had died from a heart attack, the complaint alleges.
French says the family’s communications with the LCSO were “equally troubling.”
According to the complaint, Detective McGinty told Christensen’s brother that Christensen may have died from "laced marijuana or psychedelic mushrooms."
These assumptions were not supported by toxicology tests, French says.
“For the foregoing reasons, we respectfully request that you conduct an investigation and take any remedial action to ensure that no further families of a crime victim have to endure what this Family has suffered as a result of not only the Asbachs' conduct, but the conduct of the County,” the complaint says.
French on Wednesday told The Chronicle that the CJTC responded to the complaint on April 13, “indicating that it was reviewing our submission.”
French, an attorney with Ballard Spahr LLP, represents the Aron Christensen estate and his family, as does attorney Lorenzo Leoni.
The CJTC likewise confirmed with The Chronicle Wednesday that it had received the complaint, and said the complaint was currently in the “intake review” stage.
“We did not hear back from the other governmental entities to which we directed our correspondence,” French said.
The Chronicle has reached out to the Lewis County Board of Commissioners and the Forensic Investigations Council.
