Man charged with murder in 2020 killing of a Kent hunter

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]Newly released court documents lay out the evidence investigators say turned the disappearance of a Kent Washington hunter into a murder case. And some of this honestly reads like a crime thriller. Ian O'Coles vanished during a hunting trip in Kittitas County in May 2020. His body has never been found. But investigators say a GPS watch, blood evidence, bullet trajectories, and even car stickers helped them build their case against Jorge Alcantara Gonzalez.

[00:00:24]The big break in the case came when investigators found O'Coles SUV hidden in the woods near Mineral Springs. When deputies moved in, Gonzalez ran into the forest. Inside O'Coles SUV, investigators say they found blood, hair, and evidence of what they call a violent confrontation. Detectives believe O'Coles may have been sleeping in the back of the vehicle when gunfire broke out. And evidence suggests both men fired shots. The documents also say GPS data placed Gonzalez near O'Coles campsite just hours before he disappeared. And then there's this detail. O'Coles SUV was found after he vanished, but it looked a lot different.

[00:00:58]It's distinctive window stickers had been removed. Later, investigators say pieces of those stickers were found inside this vest linked to Gonzalez.

[00:01:06]Now, 6 years later, Gonzalez is charged with first-degree murder and robbery.