Human remains located in March 2021 on timber property near the end of Raubuck Road in Winlock have been identified, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
DNA reportedly confirmed the remains belong to Glen Michael Rudge. The last known contact with Rudge was in early 2018, at which time he was 25 years old, according to the sheriff’s office.
Rudge was reportedly “listed as a transient” and his last known address was near the area he was found, according to the sheriff’s office.
Timber workers reportedly found the remains while working in the Raubuck Road area the morning of March 2, 2021, according to previous Chronicle reporting. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the Lewis County Coroner’s Office responded to the area that day to begin their investigation.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office reportedly examined the remains and confirmed there were no signs of trauma, according to the sheriff’s office. Rudge’s cause and manner of death are undetermined.
The preliminary anthropological report indicated the remains belonged to an 18- to 35-year-old white or hispanic male who was between 5-foot-7 and 6-foot-2.
In October 2021, a forensic artist created a forensic sketch based on the remains and details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons system in October 2021.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office contracted a private company, Othram, in April 2023 and submitted forensic evidence to them for testing, according to information released by the company.
Othram scientists created a comprehensive DNA profile from the forensic evidence. The company’s in-house forensic genealogy team then developed investigative leads based on that DNA profile and sent the information to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
A follow-up investigation led detectives to a potential relative, who submitted a DNA sample for reference testing. That reference testing confirmed the remains belonged to Rudge, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact them at 360-748-9286 or contact Lewis County Communications at 360-740-1105.
