Missing Nevada Man Found Buried at Property Tied to Williams Highway Deaths
OSP says Andrew Odom, 67, was found buried at the Josephine County property where his brother and nephew were found dead two days earlier.
AT A GLANCE
Missing person: Andrew Forrest Odom, 67, of Incline Village, Nevada
Williams Highway deaths: Rick Odom, 73, and his son, Spencer Odom, 40; Sheriff Dave Daniel described the deaths as a murder-suicide
Family connection: Rick Odom was Andrew Odom’s brother
Buried remains: Andrew Odom was found buried on the property Oct. 8
Investigation: Ongoing; authorities have not released Andrew Odom’s cause or manner of death
JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. — Human remains found buried at a rural Josephine County property have been identified as a Nevada man whose disappearance led investigators to the same residence where two members of his family were found dead earlier this week.
Oregon State Police said detectives located the remains of Andrew Forrest Odom, 67, of Incline Village, Nevada, on Thursday, Oct. 8, at a property in the 10000 block of Williams Highway.
Odom had been reported missing to the Medford Police Department on Oct. 1.
Williams Highway Property: Police tape surrounds the Josephine County property where Rick and Spencer Odom were found dead and where investigators later located the remains of missing Nevada man Andrew Odom. Medford Police Department.
Investigators determined that he had traveled from Carson City, Nevada, to Medford on Sept. 21. His last known whereabouts were in Josephine County the following day.
As the investigation moved into Josephine County and authorities identified what OSP described as suspicious circumstances, the case was transferred to Oregon State Police and the Josephine County Major Crime Team was activated.
The investigation led OSP detectives to the Williams Highway property on Oct. 6.
According to OSP, detectives contacted a person at the property during follow-up on the missing-person investigation. That person retreated into the residence and fired shots at detectives.
Tactical resources from the Grants Pass Police Department and Josephine County Sheriff’s Office responded, and the incident developed into a barricaded-subject situation.
After officers cleared the residence, two people with apparent gunshot wounds were found dead inside.
Those men were identified as 73-year-old Rick Odom and his 40-year-old son, Spencer Odom. Rick Odom was Andrew Odom’s brother.
Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel described the deaths as a murder-suicide. Oregon State Police said Spencer Odom died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. OSP’s latest release does not provide additional details about Rick Odom’s death.
Medford police took the lead on the investigation into the deaths inside the residence because other responding agencies had been directly involved in the incident.
Two days later, investigators returned to the property with assistance from the Oregon State Police Crime Lab.
Human remains were discovered buried on the property and were subsequently identified as Andrew Odom.
The discovery links the missing-person investigation and the two deaths previously reported at the Williams Highway residence.
Authorities have not released Andrew Odom’s cause or manner of death, and OSP has not provided additional details about when he died or how investigators located the burial site.
OSP also has not explicitly identified which individual fired at detectives during the Oct. 6 encounter.
The Josephine County Major Crime Team includes members of Oregon State Police, Grants Pass Police Department, Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, and the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office. Medford police and the Oregon State Police Crime Lab are assisting.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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