Bainbridge body: No Seattle Police comment so far; local searchers ‘remain hopeful’

(Added 4:09 pm: Photo by Tristan Baurick/Kitsap Sun; used with permission)
2:18 PM: Through the comments following our latest story on the search for missing 24-year-old West Seattleite Jeremy Peck, we learned of an investigation on Bainbridge Island – a body, believed to be male, washed up today, and the Kitsap Sun reports that Bainbridge Police are working with Seattle Police. Commenters wondered, is there any link to the Jeremy Peck search? We have checked with Seattle Police’s media unit, which is in turn checking with detectives, and with Seattle Police’s West Seattle leadership, through the Southwest Precinct; Capt. Steve Paulsen says they haven’t heard anything. The Kitsap Sun’s latest update says their county’s medical examiner is handling the case and will be responsible for identification. Again, there is nothing so far that says there’s any relation, except that Bainbridge police are quoted as saying it might be related to a Seattle missing-persons case, and that the body may have been in the water two or three weeks; we wanted to let you know we are checking. Our latest update on the Jeremy Peck search is here; we just added a news release sent by organizers of this Sunday’s vigil.

3:45 PM UPDATE: Commenting via e-mail, Jeremy Peck’s longtime friend Ben Doty, who is helping lead search effort, told WSB, “At this time, we’re aware of what happened in Bainbridge Island. Nothing has been confirmed. We remain hopeful.”

11:06 PM UPDATE: KING5 picked up the story tonight; here’s their link. The Sun has updated to say that the King County Medical Examiner now has possession of the Bainbridge body and will announce the ID if/when that’s available. In their comment section, another case of a young adult man missing about the same period of time was brought up – a 25-year-old soldier who jumped off the Tacoma Narrows Bridge a few days before Christmas.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The King County Medical Examiner’s Office just got the body today, according to both a KCME spokesperson and Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson. The official ID has not yet been determined nor made public. Until it is, and until cause of death is determined, according to Det. Jamieson, police’s next move won’t be clear – for example, even if it is Jeremy Peck, was it homicide, suicide, or an accident? All that is part of what the KC Medical Examiner is looking at right now.

MsEvelyn January 19, 2011 (10:08 pm)

Keeping my fingers crossed that it is not the young WS guy who has been missing since just before Christmas. But whoever it turns out to be, there are lots of people who are going to be deeply saddened by the identity of the victim. Bless them all. So, so sad…

A friend January 19, 2011 (11:43 pm)

Keeping my fingers crossed that it’s not Jeremy. What’s going on in West Seattle? This kinda stuff isn’t supposed to be happening.

zoey January 20, 2011 (8:49 am)

I feel the same way.. its always something you hear about happening hundreds of miles away from here & its not supposed to be happening in out own backyard.. I am still praying for Jeremy and his family are in my thoughts…

Kristina January 20, 2011 (10:48 am)

I hope that Jeremy is alive and well somewhere, and that the found body is the one belonging to the Tacoma Narrows jumper – because his family would likely find some peace having the body returned to them for proper burial. My thoughts are with both families as I read this article.

mrhineh January 20, 2011 (1:43 pm)

This is the second body to wash up in the past month or so. The other was on Whidbey or Camano IIRC. Never heard the results. When will the mom from Olympia wash up? Or, the kayak that was found empty with a beer can in it. Plus theres the feet locally and in BC that have washed up. Lots of weird things going on in the Sound.

Cheryl January 20, 2011 (2:31 pm)

Another local news outlet is saying they’ve ID’ed the body as Jeremy Peck. Such sad news. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends tonight. :-(

WSB January 20, 2011 (2:45 pm)

Cheryl, I just called the King County Medical Examiner’s Office two minutes ago and they have not officially identified the body. Doesn’t mean that whatever somebody else said isn’t so – different news outlets have different standards for when they release that kind of information – but we go with the official ID when that is made public – and as of two minutes ago, it hasn’t been. I am also on the phone with police right now, and the body was only today being brought over to M/E’s office. – TR