Update: Body found in the Willamette River identified
Jess Hume-Pantuso, Photographer
A view of the Willamette River from the Van Buren Bridge in Corvallis, Ore. on April 2. A deceased body was pulled from the river on March 31 and recently identified on April 8 as James Ernest Donat.
April 11, 2022
The deceased body found in the Willamette River by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office on March 31 has been identified as 44-year-old James Ernest Donat.
Police identified the body on April 8 in partnership with the medical examiner’s office, Oregon State Police Crime Lab, Marion County Sheriff’s Office and several tips provided by the public.
Donat’s body was found near the west side of the Willamette River close to First Street and Jackson Avenue in Corvallis, Ore.
The BCSO said it would like to thank those who brought in tips to aid in the identification of Donat.
BCSO noted that the investigation is still ongoing to determine Donat’s cause of death. The BCSO ask that anyone who has information on Donat’s whereabouts in the weeks leading up to the body recovery contacts detective Matt Moser at [email protected] or call (541) 766-6774.
