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!

 

[Regina]

The link I posted on his thread shows a lot of public against the camps.

What I've found enlightening (lol) is that fires- whether arson or accidental- have been one of the problems associated with homeless people camping in that area.

 

[Tresir]

What I've found enlightening (lol) is that fires- whether arson or accidental- have been one of the problems associated with homeless people camping in that area.

I just came across this review and I cannot see anyone wanting to use them after reading this. I posted it on Troy's thread and am linking here.

Post in thread 'Troy Dean Carney 44, was found murdered in his sleeping bag near the Bear Creek Greenway in Central Point Oregon 9/4/2008 UNSOLVED' Troy Dean Carney 44, was found murdered in his sleeping bag near the Bear Creek Greenway in Central Point Oregon 9/4/2008 UNSOLVED

 

[GrandmaBear]

Completely agree with you. I didnt want to get into a row about who works on Labor day but a lot of people work on public holidays everywhere, police, firefighters, nurses and doctors, military, carers, supermarket workers, hospitality etc etc. I actually think the firewood job is much more likely on a public holiday weekend as people may want it for outdoor camp fires, barbecues, social and work gatherings etc.

Great point with the campfires and gatherings.

And yeah it's hardly worth arguing the point, but it is so untrue I didn't think it should stand either as it's just false. Someone was wanting firewood on or around this holiday weekend and someone was wanting to find someone to deliver it for them on or around this weekend. So saying otherwise makes no sense at all or that all picnic on Labor Day and don't work lol.

It isn't worth a row, clearly feathers were ruffled or puffed out or something.

I know we are all here with good intent but JT PTSD may be a factor and seeing the wrong thing in others because there it isn't the wrong thing, many are playing head games. It took me a long time to trust here because of there and take things as meant and not wonder if something else was behind every comment anyone made. A LONG time. And I haven't forgotten that.

 

[GrandmaBear]

This thread is a time waster for sure, I have found that I have spent hours reading and checking stuff without realising it.

Lol same. I couldn't believe I lost three hours last night and thought I had just gotten home and hadn't even taken my shoes off yet. And as you know, I don't have that kind of extra time.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I don't know whether he'd have accepted any job, maybe he just wanted to leave.

I wonder the same. He needed work, needed a ticket but seemed to need or want to get out of there like now. I may be wrong but it's what I sense/pick up on. Something was wrong imo. Just an opinion. Just a guess.

 

[GrandmaBear]

What I've found enlightening (lol) is that fires- whether arson or accidental- have been one of the problems associated with homeless people camping in that area.

True. Good point. Also seems to be a picture developing here that many don't/didn't want them there.

 

[Kimster]

Yes, maybe you can but that doesn't mean it is publically owned.

View attachment 21373

Non profits commonly aide in keeping public lands upgraded for citizens. We have a couple in our area, but the city owns the property.

 

[Kimster]

A 501c is classed as a private organization's. You will be asked to vote to see if you want your local public taxes used to maintain it. I have posted a link on Troy's thread and will post the link about private classification too. The point is that all 3 of these murder/arsons occurred on land that has since been sold. That is what is important about this imo.

In Oregon you don’t always get to vote on where your taxes are going. Currently we’re developing a park in our city and money that is put aside from taxes toward our parks and recreation is being used to develop the land. The taxes weren’t specifically voted on by the citizens to use toward the project. It’s up to the citizens to let the representatives know where they want their money to go. Nonprofits are invited to join in the progress of the development.

 

[Kimster]

It was LABOR DAY, noone works on Labor Day unless you have to. It's a vacation weekend for us here in the states. Certainly noone is delivering firewood, it's a picnic barbecue kind of day, the last hurrah of summer before kids go back to school.

Was Troy supposed to get his work clothes on after talking with his mom and head out? He left the truck stop at 6:00, so a 1/2 days work if he was picked up right then takes you to at least 10 pm. Noone wants firewood delivered at night on a holiday. This line of questioning is not making sense to me.

Again, I live here, I am very aware of how much hatred is directed at the unhoused in our area. There's a US Supreme Court case right now that involves the City of Grants Pass.

And that case in Grants Pass has been going on forever! All the cities in the state are watching it.

I don’t think the unhoused were looked down upon as much back then though, it wasn’t a major crisis at that time. Not like it is now.

 

[Kimster]

Well in Troy's case, there'd be no gain for him as he didn't own it and is dead so you'd have to the the person who wanted the gain which would have to be the owner did it and also had no problem killing him and lighting him afire to gain on the loss of the cabin. I'm not sure I buy that or can believe that.

The other cabin though, there is the slight possibility it was not the same arsonist. It seems unlikely though, same time of middle of the night past midnight hours, just five miles or so away and both arson...

Anything's possible though. Although I draw the line at it being Odinists. Lol, couldn't help it, jk.

And at this post, I’ve run out of time!

I’m glad everybody is throwing a lot of different ideas into the bucket. Sometimes it’s OK to agree to disagree and move on, too. We’re all looking at the house from a different side. But it’s still the same house.

 

[Tresir]

In Oregon you don’t always get to vote on where your taxes are going. Currently we’re developing a park in our city and money that is put aside from taxes toward our parks and recreation is being used to develop the land. The taxes weren’t specifically voted on by the citizens to use toward the project. It’s up to the citizens to let the representatives know where they want their money to go. Nonprofits are invited to join in the progress of the development.

Well that is what often happens IME. Land is put into a non profit charitable trust and public can use it then they give/sell bits off for developments later on.

 

[Tresir]

And that case in Grants Pass has been going on forever! All the cities in the state are watching it.

I don’t think the unhoused were looked down upon as much back then though, it wasn’t a major crisis at that time. Not like it is now.

The newspaper that RC posted recently had an article about arsons in Grant's Pass, right next to Troy's story but I couldn't read either of them as they get blurry when I enlarged them. Did they have arson and homeless problems there too?

 

[Tresir]

It has been mentioned about a Grants Pass Supreme Court case so I found an article about it so we know what it is about. I posted the article on Troy's thread but here is a link to it.

Post in thread 'Troy Dean Carney 44, was found murdered in his sleeping bag near the Bear Creek Greenway in Central Point Oregon 9/4/2008 UNSOLVED' Troy Dean Carney 44, was found murdered in his sleeping bag near the Bear Creek Greenway in Central Point Oregon 9/4/2008 UNSOLVED

 

[Tresir]

In Oregon you don’t always get to vote on where your taxes are going. Currently we’re developing a park in our city and money that is put aside from taxes toward our parks and recreation is being used to develop the land. The taxes weren’t specifically voted on by the citizens to use toward the project. It’s up to the citizens to let the representatives know where they want their money to go. Nonprofits are invited to join in the progress of the development.

In the UK they cannot just use our local taxes (known as council tax) for whatever they want. They are specifically set out up front every year what they will be spending it on. Eg police, education, rubbish collections, street lights, council salaries etc.

 

[Kimster]

In the UK they cannot just use our local taxes (known as council tax) for whatever they want. They are specifically set out up front every year what they will be spending it on. Eg police, education, rubbish collections, street lights, council salaries etc.

In a way they are here too. There’s a budget community that meets up once a year and decides where the money will be allocated. But citizens never show up. I’ve been part of the process for almost 20 years and I don’t remember ever having a citizen come to one of the meetings.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I just came across this review and I cannot see anyone wanting to use them after reading this. I posted it on Troy's thread and am linking here.

Post in thread 'Troy Dean Carney 44, was found murdered in his sleeping bag near the Bear Creek Greenway in Central Point Oregon 9/4/2008 UNSOLVED' Troy Dean Carney 44, was found murdered in his sleeping bag near the Bear Creek Greenway in Central Point Oregon 9/4/2008 UNSOLVED

I'm trying without offense to him or famly figure out why Troy would want to be homeless and in dire straits. He had a mom willing to help apparently. And again I mean no offense. But to live outside and at risk somehwere he hid his whereabouts from others to be safe is what was pretty much said to us, etc. I'm sorry but was it drugs? Was he running from charges or owing child support, had a warrant? Why choose to live in a fashion you don't have what you need and can't count on having what you need? Go to stay with some old friend who apparently is now married and their life isn't the same and I am guessing they really didn't want you there. I hate saying this and I'm not trying to be mean, I hate that it feels mean, but seriously was it drugs? Charges?

I have known in my life people who were just going to live off the land so to speak or travel and hitchhike for instance and go where it took them and so on. Free spirits so to speak. But looking back on it in later years and they did too, it's immaturity and yeah maybe some partying and drugs played in, or with some yes it is running from something, denial and running instead of facing it like an adult.

I'm sure we can be told this was just him and what he liked to do and didn't want to be tied down, wanted to go where things led him, he liked that kind of lifestyle, etc. and he kept in touch with mom every day and to a point, maybe that's true but you're living amongst druggies, homeless, hidden in a sleeping bag with no defense at all and again why would you choose this?

Wrong thread again but I did respond to a post that was here. I just think there's more with Troy we don't know. And again I don't want to know for a judging reason but because i think it would give more insight into this.

Reading those reviews it is a whole lot of drug addicts, dirtiness, smell of urine, etc. and again why would you choose this lifestyle. Some maybe don't "choose" it but Troy had a mother willing to help at least then, so why didn't he stay near family or with family where he wouldn't have to be sleeping outside when friends threw him out, not affording a bus ticket, not having a toilet, he is so close to his mom they talked every day but also having to rely on her to get him a bus ticket but it also probably worried her every day he lived this way or didn't answer. It would me as a mom, I know that. And it would my mom too, if it were me or any of her children doing such.

Other questions are why didn't he drive truck if liking such a lifestyle? Again I'd ask what his past was and his life story. And again not for any mean purpose, but because I just feel there's a reason he was doing this. Did he ever hold a regular job would be another question and at what and for how long?

I really think as others seem to be wondering too, his death could have been due to hatred of transients/homeless, drugs, their ways of living on public land/trails and/or due to drugs even, we really have little info on him.

As I said before, we know a lot more about Dave and his last how many years as to where he lived, that he had kids and so on but I believe also there there are things we don't know there as well.

Neither man in any way deserved to be murdered, they are total victims but it doesn't mean whatever was going on in their lives or what we may not know about them or their friends activities and so on, did not play into who wodkl have committed these murders of them/arsons, etc.

 

[GrandmaBear]

And that case in Grants Pass has been going on forever! All the cities in the state are watching it.

I don’t think the unhoused were looked down upon as much back then though, it wasn’t a major crisis at that time. Not like it is now.

I'm not so sure of that. Sometimes it is when things first surprise the public where they know of no such thing ever in their area and then experience the first homeless or drug addicts on a trail that they always could count on was great and safe for mom and pop and kids and dog and that's shock. I can tell you to this day it still would be here in either of my locations/states. I see NO evidence of homeless where with you all on the west cost it seems long past unusual.

Back to probably in the whereabouts the year this would have happened, I was on FB. I've not been on FB in years. I had a ton of friends the type I've never met but met through other things over years on FB that were from all over and we became good friends who shared a lot through the years not dissimilar to how it is here. We've never met but a lot has been shared to where I think sometimes we can feel we know each other better than people we know and have really met. Anyhow, on FB and elsewhere, politics/election sh*t going on back and forth of course in the country and a lot of talk of Cali and homeless etc and i asked a woman who I'd known for some time from Cali in not a area talked of with problems if it was really as bad as purported and in all areas and so on. Like is it true every city or every trail or park, etc., etc. and that there is **** on the trail, human waste, and on the sidewalks of San Francisco etc., this is the kind of thing that was being said. I wanted to know from someone I "knew" well, other than all the propaganda going on. And she confirmed it but also admitted they'd never realized it or seen it until recently etc. and her hub biked a trail that had for years been such nice safe trail, good for anyone or families too and he was encountering all of that and more all along the trail.

Of course much of the talk of it etc. had led to me asking her as in who let it go so far so fast as to who was in office and not stopping it..

But I'm not getting political, what I'm trying to say is I think it's been longer than you think and even if not a ton of homeless at the time, just seeing it where you never had it before I think would upset a lot of people if it was a new thing. Now upset to the point of killing someone homeless or camping is a different story but even though most or many can sympathize, many don't AND it's different when it comes to one's own area and affects one own's family, feeling of safety and a nice bike trail or park to go to.

I know Cali isn't OR but it darned well was going on back then is all I am saying. Many were not yet realizing it though or just learning it.

I don't really have a point but I do think this is worth some thought. If I was used to say a park and taking my grandkids there, or kids back in the day or having a family picnic, etc. and it was just what most of us grew up knowing, a park with families and outings and safe and nice and then we went one day with our kids and grandkids and here are adults sleeping under the swings on the groud, peeing on the swing set pole, doing drugs, or having sex in public, I'd be majorly upset. I wouldn't kill over it but then I'm not a murderer and someone else is in these cases...

 

[Tresir]

In a way they are here too. There’s a budget community that meets up once a year and decides where the money will be allocated. But citizens never show up. I’ve been part of the process for almost 20 years and I don’t remember ever having a citizen come to one of the meetings.

Really- that's crazy. Some stuff has to be funded on a regular recurring basis anyway right? Even our tiny village council has people show up and now people can attend via zoom as well. Our local precept (about £20 per household) is part of the county expenses too.

 

[Tresir]

I'm not so sure of that. Sometimes it is when things first surprise the public where they know of no such thing ever in their area and then experience the first homeless or drug addicts on a trail that they always could count on was great and safe for mom and pop and kids and dog and that's shock. I can tell you to this day it still would be here in either of my locations/states. I see NO evidence of homeless where with you all on the west cost it seems long past unusual.

Back to probably in the whereabouts the year this would have happened, I was on FB. I've not been on FB in years. I had a ton of friends the type I've never met but met through other things over years on FB that were from all over and we became good friends who shared a lot through the years not dissimilar to how it is here. We've never met but a lot has been shared to where I think sometimes we can feel we know each other better than people we know and have really met. Anyhow, on FB and elsewhere, politics/election sh*t going on back and forth of course in the country and a lot of talk of Cali and homeless etc and i asked a woman who I'd known for some time from Cali in not a area talked of with problems if it was really as bad as purported and in all areas and so on. Like is it true every city or every trail or park, etc., etc. and that there is **** on the trail, human waste, and on the sidewalks of San Francisco etc., this is the kind of thing that was being said. I wanted to know from someone I "knew" well, other than all the propaganda going on. And she confirmed it but also admitted they'd never realized it or seen it until recently etc. and her hub biked a trail that had for years been such nice safe trail, good for anyone or families too and he was encountering all of that and more all along the trail.

Of course much of the talk of it etc. had led to me asking her as in who let it go so far so fast as to who was in office and not stopping it..

But I'm not getting political, what I'm trying to say is I think it's been longer than you think and even if not a ton of homeless at the time, just seeing it where you never had it before I think would upset a lot of people if it was a new thing. Now upset to the point of killing someone homeless or camping is a different story but even though most or many can sympathize, many don't AND it's different when it comes to one's own area and affects one own's family, feeling of safety and a nice bike trail or park to go to.

I know Cali isn't OR but it darned well was going on back then is all I am saying. Many were not yet realizing it though or just learning it.

I don't really have a point but I do think this is worth some thought. If I was used to say a park and taking my grandkids there, or kids back in the day or having a family picnic, etc. and it was just what most of us grew up knowing, a park with families and outings and safe and nice and then we went one day with our kids and grandkids and here are adults sleeping under the swings on the groud, peeing on the swing set pole, doing drugs, or having sex in public, I'd be majorly upset. I wouldn't kill over it but then I'm not a murderer and someone else is in these cases...

Really good points. We don't know the actual situation in 2008 in these areas. Hopefully @Red Clover can answer WRT Central Point and the homeless situation, where Troy camped, if she used the trail in that area, at that time.

With the two Daves, clearly that wasn't the motive as they weren't homeless or transient at the time.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Really good points. We don't know the actual situation in 2008 in these areas. Hopefully @Red Clover can answer WRT Central Point and the homeless situation, where Troy camped, if she used the trail in that area, at that time.

With the two Daves, clearly that wasn't the motive as they weren't homeless or transient at the time.

Yeah, they just "feel" different. Don't you think?

Dave's was at his home of 25 years or whatever it was and it feels different. The other two while not similar were in parks/on trails and while the perp could have know who they were, they just feel more random or like hate crimes or something and maybe not as personally motivated so much as Dave's... That's not to say the perp couldn't have known them or of them but it just feels different if that makes any sense.

I honestly am seeing little connection and think more than likely we have three different perps with individual reasons/motives in each.