‘Somebody came for sole purpose of killing Eric’

Transcript

JEFF: 15 YEARS AGO, THE CITY OF HOOD RIVER WAS ROCKED BY THE MURDER OF 41-YEAR-OLD ERIC TAMIYASU. IT'S STILL A MYSTERY PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE STRANGE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED BOTH BEFORE HE DIED, AND DURING THE INVESTIGATION AFTERWARDS. TIM BECKER HAS MORE IN TONIGHT'S 6 NEWS KOIN 6 UNSOLVED. IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS IN BED SLEEPING AND HE WAS SHOT. JEFF: ERIC WAS MURDERED IN HIS HOOD RIVER HOME IN JUNE OF 2001.

THERE WAS NO STRUGGLE. JEFF: ERIC WAS 31 YEARS OLD. THEY FOUND A THIRD BULLET. AND I SAID, THAT CANNOT BE SUICIDE. THEY HAVE GOT TO BE MURDER.

JEFF: DON DIXON FOUND HIS DECOMPOSING BODY IN THE UPSTAIRS BEDROOM OF THE HOUSE ERIC HAD RECENTLY BUILT NEXT TO HIS ORCHARD. AS I GOT TO HIS ROOM, THE STENCH WAS INCREDIBLE. AS I WAS STANDING THERE, I LOOKED TO MY LEFT AND I SAW HIM LAYING IN BED AND I YELLED, "ERIC." DID YOU KNOW RIGHT THEN THAT HE WAS DEAD? JEFF: AT THE TIME, THE GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO HIS HEAD OR NOT EVIDENCE, THOUGH DIXON WAS SURE HIS FRIEND WAS DEAD. HE CALLED 911. INVESTIGATOR GERRY TIFFANY WAS ONE OF SEVERAL SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES TO INITIALLY SHOW UP.

70 CAME IN HERE FOR THE -- SOMEBODY CAME IN HERE FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF KILLING ERIC. HE IS NOT SOMEBODY WHO HAD A LOT OF ENEMIES. HE APPARENTLY, HAD ONE. JEFF: PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR DARON COATES WAS HIRED BY ERIC'S FAMILY WHEN THE HOOD RIVER SHIFT DEPARTMENT WAS NOT FINDING ANSWERS. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD SAY THAT IT WAS BOTCHED.

I THINK THAT THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WAY THAT SOME OF THIS WAS HANDLED. JEFF: THOSE QUESTIONS HELPED THE CASE DRAWN NATIONAL ATTENTION A YEAR AFTER THE MURDER. NETWORK TV'S "UNSOLVED MYSTERIES" DISSECTED THE INVESTIGATION, PONDERING POSSIBLE SUSPECTS, INCLUDING DIXON, AND THEN SHERIFF JOSEPH WAMPLER, WHOSE WIFE, ACCORDING TI -- ACCORDING TO DIXON, MIGHT HAVE HAD A CLOSE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE VICTIM. AFTER THEY HAD FINISHED COLLECTING EVIDENCE, WAMPLER ASKED DIXON TO BURN THE SPOILED BETTING AND MATTRESS. ERIC WAS FOUND ON THAT MATTERS.

SHOULD THE MADRAS HAVE BEEN BURNED? I DON'T THINK SO. NO, I DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING WAS LOST. JEFF: DIXON THOUGHT DIFFERENTLY JUST FOR BURNING THE BETTING. AND THE SHEET FALLS OPEN. THERE IS NOTHING CUT OUT OF IT.

THEY ARE ALL INTACT. NO SAMPLE TAKEN? THERE WERE NO SAMPLES TAKEN. JEFF: WAMPLER WOULD NOT TALK ON CAMERA, BUT TOLD ME OVER THE PHONE THAT THAT WAS NOT TRUE. ABOUT ONE WEEK BEFORE HE WAS MURDERED, ERIC WAS WITH A WOMAN NAMED DIANA AT HIS HOUSE WHEN. AGAIN, KNOCK AT THE DOOR.

JEFF: IT HAPPENED TWICE. EACH TIME, ERIC ANSWERED NOBODY WAS THERE. WAMPLER TELLS ME THEY LATER INVESTIGATED DIANA'S EX, THE FATHER OF HER CHILD, A MAN WAMPLER TELLS ME IS CAPABLE OF THE STALK ING-LIKE THE SAVIOR. THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE THAT IF I COULD, I WOULD HAVE THEM ARRESTED. ONE IS THE FATHER OF HER CHILD AND THE OTHER IS OUR EX-SHERIFF.

AS YOU HAVE POINTED OUT, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CRAZY CONSPIRACY THEORIES, A LOT OF INTERESTING IDEAS. SOME OF THEM ARE MAYBE, KIND OF SILLY, BUT THERE IS AT LEAST ONE OF THEM, THEY ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. JEFF: PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR COATES TELLS ME A HANDFUL OF NEW INFORMATIONAL LEADS HAVE COME TO HIM IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.