DAVID "DAVE" EDWIN LEWIS: Murder & arson 13 miles east of Ashland, OR - 4 September 2008

David "Dave" Lewis was a 46 year old father of three. A jack of all trades and good man in any camp, Dave was well known and well respected in his mountain community where he lived on the summit of Dead Indian Memorial Road, 13 miles east of Ashland, Jackson County, Oregon for more than 20 years.

David was found dead after a fire at his rural cabin at 12801 Dead Indian Memorial Road. He had been murdered, shot & the cabin set fire.

David's remains were identified by DNA. There was also ANOTHER FIRE near Dave's cabin that same night, at a vacant vacation cabin at 18196 Dead Indian Memorial Road, about 5-6 miles away.

Edited to add media link: Dave Lewis was found murdered in his rural cabin east of Ashland, Oregon in 2008. His murder remains UNSOLVED!

 

[GrandmaBear]

Three unsolved murders in three years

True Crime Diary

Troy Dean Carney, 44, was originally from Maine, but for the last several years he'd been crisscrossing the country working as a "lumper," someone who helps load and unload trucks. While waiting for more work, Carney was camping by the Greenway. He was last seen on videotape on September 1, 2008 walking away from the nearby Pilot Truck stop. His body was found three days later. Police believe he was shot in the head while sleeping in a sleeping bag hidden under some brush. There were no signs of struggle, or robbery.
[...]
On the same day Carney's body was discovered a 100 year old hilltop cabin burned in the mountains about 15 miles east of Ashland. An hour later a call came in about a second house fire on the same road. Both houses burned to the ground and were completely destroyed. The first house was an occasional summer home. But the second house, at 12801 Dead Indian Memorial Road, was owned by Dave E. Lewis, 46, a man with deep ties to the Ashland area; Lewis had rented the house for 23 years. His badly burned remains were discovered among the ruins. Police believe he was tied up and killed before the house was set on fire.

Two murders discovered on the same day in relatively close proximity in an area with normally very little violent crime sparked investigators' interest. Things got even more interesting when, 9 days after Carney's murder, someone returned to the scene and set fire to the campsites. Police believe it was set intentionally in an attempt to cover up evidence.

The Lewis and Carney murders now had fire in common as well. Investigators have also said they've discovered a piece of evidence linking the crimes, but they've stopped short of identifying it.

*full disclosure: I worked with David Grubbs at the time he passed in November 2011. He was a much younger co-worker who was on his way home from work walking along the bike path near Hunter Park in Ashland when he was attacked and killed.

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Boy it must be one small area where all know everyone and encounter everyone. You knew a third murdered guy and knew Dave and worked with a relative as well? I've probably missed something lol but just off the top of my head recall all this.

I can't see how they can know or surmise Dave was tied up with such total obliteration of home and him by the fire. To read that thing you posted, his arms, etc. were gone.

How much of the bit I read of that thing should I take to be true? The put welding tanks and other things in the home to explode? Poured accelerant on him, etc. "They" believe it was many or a group... And so on.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I just came across this video. It is very well made from 8 years ago. Wondering what you think of it.

WOW. What is odd for me is I thought of such things and asked some similar questions and knew NOTHING OF this thought. Like I asked if the resort owners were local or monied outsiders, etc. and this all fits right in.

This all makes a ton more sense to me sorry to say. So if true very heated things went on, they were red flagged and told to stop building, etc. and he walked off the job and was threatened, etc. JUST before.

Beautiful areas. Locals. Money to be made and coming in. Corruption. Not hard to believe at all especially with them having the clout or way to take over formerly unowned campgrounds or whatever they were and more...

This also sounds much like the bit I read in the "Murder of Dave Lewis" think posted above. Same kinds of thoughts and like they know who did it and that it is not being investigated because of connections, etc...

 

[GrandmaBear]

Well his COD wasnt shooting or arson but unsolved too, from 2011.

ETA found this video. Are you the coworker featured in this video?

ETA2 I just noticed the above article says Dave was tied up before he was shot.

Well for an area with little crime or unusual to have murders, it seems they can't solve any of them. For years on end. Odd.

 

[GrandmaBear]

It was a landline, I assume LE would have his phone records.

It wasn't long distance for him to call me or someone in southern Oregon as his landline and address was listed as Ashland Oregon even though he lived 13 miles from town.

Kids in that area routinely ride the school bus from up on the mountain into town.

I have always wondered if his phone line was intact or if he made any attempt to call 911.

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If he had a chance. Hard to say with that kind of fire if they'd even be able to determine if the line was intact no? I have to even wonder if he was killed at home now after reading some other things. Or even if he was taken there to be killed but was already under someone else's control...

I haven't had a landline in so long hard to say what records they have if calls were local but I know we used to have what were called not long distance numbers but extended area numbers that would be charged and show on a phone bill but local calls wouldn't right within your own exchange. I haven't had a landline in some number of years.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I have always seen these statements as callous given that their loved one had just been found murdered the day before under pretty horrific circumstances. Maybe it's just me.


He was never a pot smoker but he did grow weed with his brother in law in the extreme backcountry of Northern California in the 80's. They used pack mules to get their supplies into the backcountry.

They both served their time in federal prisons. AFAIK Dave wasn't involved in growing at the time of his death but I have seen speculation or rumors to that effect over the years so anything is possible I suppose.


Not really. The comment in the newspaper article isn't necessarily accurate. I spoke with him about the same subject and that wasn't my takeaway at all. ‍♀

I'm only able to tell you all what I know and what I have gathered. I am always hopeful that more heads on this means it's more likely to be solved. I appreciate all your questions. Everyone has been asking all the right things l think.

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They may seem callous but I could see if they were being asked did he have any enemies, ever have any trouble, etc. where these things would come to their thoughts with his death as to who could have murdered him or what it may relate to. Or it was callous. Hard to say I guess?

So he grew weed but never smoked it? So were selling it I guess you mean? I actually didn't realize he did time in the pen. I get also that that was a long time ago in much younger years.

It may be generalizing but just hearing of his type somewhat, where he lived, what he liked and enjoyed and certain things bring the thought to mind because I guess I think of people I knew that he sounds like and yes, pot wouldn't be unusual or growing it... However, that one thing you linked seemed to hint he may have been wanting other growers done in and perhaps he was against it. I only read a bit but man lots of stuff there... Sounded like grow operations were being taken down or some such. I'm overloaded so may have it backwards...

How did you know him again? Growing up, families or something, I can't recall, sorry. But some people do show different sides to different people... Perhaps the political comment was true but he only showed some OR he got into it more recently or some such? Or it isn't true. Who knows... It does seem he sure had opinions though of right and wrong and was outspoken or is that not correct? I really have to get off here and cut you a break too. I have a headache and have a full day tomorrow and things to do yet and it is now night passed already and almost midnight here.

You've been great with responding and taking no offense at anything and I hope you know none is meant towards him, etc.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Please take everything on that blog with a grain of salt as it is also chock full of misdirection in my opinion

The video @Tresir put up I think it was had similar thoughts of a group and the resort and more. A bit more refined and less vehement and angry than that blog was but some similar info on some of it.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Okay. I am out of here. Thank you!

 

[Tresir]

Just posting this link to a post on JT that might help with the person "expected to show up".

I would like to know if there is actual evidence that this person was in the area at the time of Dave's death. If not, then we can rule them out immediately other than a contract killer, right?

OR - OR - David 'Dave' Lewis, 46, Ashland, 4 September 2008

@ Red Clover wrote she/he took the pictures. If there is information which the police should know about, they should be contacted. Remembering the FBI can arrest someone/ anyone for lying to them. Im sure the FBI wants to know who David was so so so afraid of : just showing up. Who just showed...

www.websleuths.com

Also
@Red Clover how did you know about these inheritance checks on Dave's mantelpiece? Did you see them there yourself? If so, how much were they for?

Please accept my apologies if you have explained any of this before, but with all the info coming at us, I may well have missed it.

 

[Red Clover]

@Red Clover

Hey @Tresir

how did you know about these inheritance checks on Dave's mantelpiece?

Dave told me he had two uncashed checks from his mom's inheritance on his windowsill.

Did you see them there yourself?

No

If so, how much were they for?

Again, I don't know for sure, it was just something he mentioned in reference to expecting his relative "to just show up"

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[Red Clover]

I would like to know if there is actual evidence that this person was in the area at the time of Dave's death. If not, then we can rule them out immediately other than a contract killer, right?

If you want to rule them out that's up to you.

Whether this person was in the Rogue Valley over Labor Day weekend is the gist of my exploration over the past year.

Could it be someone else? It's totally possible.

Am I able to rule this person out based on my experience? No.

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Edited to change RV to Rogue Valley

 

[Regina]

The building that is left on the property is an old cabin that has been used for storage on the property. Dave's three vehicles and this outbuilding did not burn.

How was it used before the murder?

 

[Tresir]

If you want to rule them out that's up to you.

Whether this person was in the RV over Labor Day weekend is the gist of my exploration over the past year.

Could it be someone else? It's totally possible.

Am I able to rule this person out based on my experience? No.

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Ok, so you did not witness them at all, in the area around the time of the deaths and 2 first arsons. You are just going by what Dave said to you prior to his death. Did he tell you this (about the checks and the show up person ) in person or by phone and how long before his death did he tell you this? Days/weeks before or exact day, if you can remember? It would be very helpful.

What is this RV? Do you mean Recreational Vehicle, like a camper van which they would drive to Ashland from their home?

 

[Regina]

There is the OFF chance these fires could be unrelated but it seems 99 percent unlikely.

I think the trick here even aside from Troy would be finding a connection between people with interest in these two cabins and their land or how both fires AND Dave's murder would benefit anyone. of course, again, the other fire could have been set to lead the trail from LE thinking it was someone just after Dave but that, like Troy, would seem to take some preplanning of adding a murder and adding fires that they hope LE would connect and think a larger picture than just wanting Dave dead....

Is there any possibility though otherwise that these two fires and Dave's death benefited someone in some way.... BOTH fires... Benefited the same person or even organization or business (just saying that if this is coveted land who knows...).

I think the fires served some sort of a purpose- of course- but what? I do think the trick is identifying the association of the two scenes.
You know, here we have a murderer and an arsonist! And btw, re arsonist, unless I'm mistaken, statistics would show that this is a male perp.

 

[Red Clover]

Just posting this link to a post on JT that might help with the person "expected to show up".

OR - OR - David 'Dave' Lewis, 46, Ashland, 4 September 2008

@ Red Clover wrote she/he took the pictures. If there is information which the police should know about, they should be contacted. Remembering the FBI can arrest someone/ anyone for lying to them. Im sure the FBI wants to know who David was so so so afraid of : just showing up. Who just showed...

www.websleuths.com

Since this post has been brought over from JT I would like to remind everyone how curated the threads are there.

This particular post referenced by @Tresir was one of many in an attempt to discredit anything I posted as a VI.

If you read through the thread the context is more clear but keep in mind that many of my responses to nonsense like this was heavily moderated or deleted.

There's no way to defend myself from every statement that this person directed towards me but over the course of a year I was accused of "returning to the scene of the crime" that I "doth protest too much" that I was deliberately lying, that I would be arrested by the FBI or US Marshals for lying... etc...

It's just not worth my precious time and energy.

It's okay if folks disagree or don't see the case the same way or have questions or ideas.

Until there's a suspect it could be ANYONE.

However, I want to be clear that I have no desire to fight the battles that happened in JT. There's no way to explain the inexplicable.

Thanks for your support and excellent questions. I'm looking forward to making some progress here.

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[Red Clover]

How was it used before the murder?

Storage on the property

 

[GrandmaBear]

Just posting this link to a post on JT that might help with the person "expected to show up".

I would like to know if there is actual evidence that this person was in the area at the time of Dave's death. If not, then we can rule them out immediately other than a contract killer, right?

OR - OR - David 'Dave' Lewis, 46, Ashland, 4 September 2008

@ Red Clover wrote she/he took the pictures. If there is information which the police should know about, they should be contacted. Remembering the FBI can arrest someone/ anyone for lying to them. Im sure the FBI wants to know who David was so so so afraid of : just showing up. Who just showed...

www.websleuths.com

Also
@Red Clover how did you know about these inheritance checks on Dave's mantelpiece? Did you see them there yourself? If so, how much were they for?

Please accept my apologies if you have explained any of this before, but with all the info coming at us, I may well have missed it.

That's who I think is meant. At first I thought we were talking the opposite sex but similar relationship but have come to realize it is this most likely. Part of it was a vdieo you posted, nothing really that the person did so much as it made me realize what family member seemed to be trying to find his killer front and center. And then just some other remarks that made me realize we were talking a female.

What makes you think contract killer? They don't generally wreck stuff, mess it up and so on do they? They simply do a clean hit or at times I guess make a statement to others which could explain the horridness of it with accelerant and all?

Dave is starting to sound to me like an outspoken, opinionated and maybe somewhat hardheaded, stubborn man who made some enemies. Maybe has a bit of moral superiority and believes he is the judge of right and wrong or is a bit of a know it all that way/knows more than others. Of course that's depending on what's true. Did he really spend months in jail for beating up a sex offender? Some of the claims are provable, like that one I'd think. Not trying to diss the victim, simply looking for an accurate picture and perp possibilities once understanding that and more.

I came to the thought some time back without knowing any of this further stuff that the relative just doesn't have anything to gain from the murder and it would have to be anger, revenge or maybe stealing some family heirloom (unlikely) and then also arsoned two other sites and killed another man? It's starting to seem pretty unlikely to me. In the beginning when we didn't know much I figured more would come as to it making sense but honestly more info is leading me away from it but then who knows... Here either I'm not trying to diss the relative theory but I'm finding it more difficult to believe. It takes a lot of supposing and making too many unlikely things work imo.

Of interest in one of your videos, did you post two? I think so and I watched both, actually had some time I shouldn't have been wasting lol. Anyhow in one of them it was said how Dave would help anyone even delivering them firewood if needed and immediately I felt a click. That's the job that Troy was offered. Maybe it means nothing but I thought it interesting... This is a leap but could it have been Dave at the Pilot or somewhere he offered Troy this work? I have been thinking they didn't have any connection or know each other but if Dave frequented the Pilot at all maybe they did if Troy was around a lot/always hanging out. A small thing but it wasn't just firewood, the remark but the "delivering" of it for those who needed it.

 

[Regina]

I spoke with David about 10 days before his death. LE has not released any details about his last known whereabouts.

Given the circumstances, I think 10 days is a relatively long time.
Are there no mutual friends?

Interesting to know a relative or a spouse of a relative or whatever or that spouse's family owned a lot of the property around though.

I wonder whether it was the sister's marriage that led the siblings from Delaware to Oregon.
(It's neither here nor there- actually, I feel like it's none of my business!, it's just that having never left my hometown, I'm always curious to know the reason people decide to leave, especially for somewhere so far away.

 

[Regina]

View attachment 21329

A screenshot of the shed from the JC assessor website

What a cute little place! I wonder if David built it.

 

[GrandmaBear]

If you want to rule them out that's up to you.

Whether this person was in the Rogue Valley over Labor Day weekend is the gist of my exploration over the past year.

Could it be someone else? It's totally possible.

Am I able to rule this person out based on my experience? No.

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Edited to change RV to Rogue Valley

No one should be ruled out until known. For me, I end up kind of forming as time goes on, with enough info of course, likelihoods more so and not ruling out 100 percent almost ever. I am starting to feel this person a bit unlikely for a lot of reasons most or all which have been mentioned at one time or another. It doesn't mean I rule out the possibility though.

Another things is every time I read he expected the person to show up, I sense it to mean on his doorstep in broad daylight unannounced maybe but not in the dark of the middle of the night to kill and torch him while starting with another man camping near a Pilot how far away and then torching another cabin on the way days later. I can add some other thoughts to that as in they'd be in an out of state car or have to rent one or who knows and that's just more things to make a way for this person to have done it. And more.

Did this person do it alone or with someone because things like pulling welding tanks off and a lot of the other actions also make it seem unlikely.

It doesn't mean I dismiss the possibility though. I will be honest and say I am not leaning towards it though. And all that is despite what the other has said or others over the years. I was asking and having some very similar questions before I ran into any of that or any of that was linked. To me, it takes a lot of explanation and when too many things need to be explained or made to work, that's when things don't fly well for me.

But who knows, anything is possible.

 

[Tresir]

Since this post has been brought over from JT I would like to remind everyone how curated the threads are there.

This particular post referenced by @Tresir was one of many in an attempt to discredit anything I posted as a VI.

If you read through the thread the context is more clear but keep in mind that many of my responses to nonsense like this was heavily moderated or deleted.

There's no way to defend myself from every statement that this person directed towards me but over the course of a year I was accused of "returning to the scene of the crime" that I "doth protest too much" that I was deliberately lying, that I would be arrested by the FBI or US Marshals for lying... etc...

It's just not worth my precious time and energy.

It's okay if folks disagree or don't see the case the same way or have questions or ideas.

Until there's a suspect it could be ANYONE.

However, I want to be clear that I have no desire to fight the battles that happened in JT. There's no way to explain the inexplicable.

Thanks for your support and excellent questions. I'm looking forward to making some progress here.

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Completely understand. I posted the link just to allay all the questions and so you don't have to keep repeating it if you don't want too.