RURAL ASHLAND, Ore. (Feb. 10, 2026) — The body of a Eugene man who had been missing for nearly two months was found over the weekend near Mill Creek Drive and Highway 66 outside Ashland, authorities said.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said medical examiner detectives scientifically identified the body as Damon Lee Petrie, 60, of Eugene. Petrie was reported missing on Dec. 18, 2025, prompting an extensive multi-agency search effort in Jackson County and surrounding areas.
Sheriff’s deputies, detectives and Search and Rescue personnel conducted repeated ground searches and follow-up investigations in the weeks after Petrie’s disappearance, officials said. Despite those efforts, he was not located until Saturday, Feb. 7, when a hiker discovered a body in a rural area near the highway and contacted authorities.
JCSO medical examiner detectives later confirmed the identity through scientific methods. In a statement, the sheriff’s office expressed condolences to Petrie’s family and friends.
The cause and manner of death have not been determined and are pending the results of an autopsy and toxicology report, officials said. No further details about the circumstances surrounding his death were immediately available.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities said additional information will be released if appropriate.
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