On 09/27/2021 the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office received a missing person report from Brenda Rasmussen (55) who was residing in the Valley area of Stevens County at the time. She advised that her husband Jerry Rasmussen (65) had left the residence several weeks prior and had not been heard from. She provided information that they had been arguing recently, he left on his own and had been known to leave and be gone for extended periods in the past.

After Deputies spoke with Brenda and other family members who reside outside the area, they became suspicious of the circumstances and requested the case be looked into further by the Detective Unit. Detectives immediately began an extensive investigation into Mr. Rasmussen’s disappearance. During the course of the investigation over the next month, Detectives identified Brenda Rasmussen and her two sons Danny (34) and Andrew (31) as persons of interest in the case and began treating the investigation as a possible homicide. Danny had resided at the residence and Andrew had an address in Bullhead City, AZ

On 11/12/21 detectives were able to obtain and serve a search warrant at the Valley residence. During the service of the warrant cadaver dogs were used to conduct a sniff of the area and the dogs indicated the presence of odor of human remains coming from the area of a new storage shed recently placed on the property. Other items of evidence were also recovered from the house, which Brenda Rasmussen and Danny Jones had since vacated.

On 12/07/21 members of the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office utilized a shed transport company as well as a rented excavator to search the area beneath the shed pursuant to another search warrant. Human remains, later positively identified as Jerry Rasmussen, were discovered buried under the shed. A subsequent autopsy ruled the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head.

Arrests warrants were sought and issued for Brenda Rasmussen, Danny Jones and Andrew Jones for Rendering Criminal Assistance 1st degree relating to the death of Jerry Rasmussen.

The Stevens County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the United States Marshals Service as well as the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office in the search for the suspects. Our law enforcement partners in Arizona developed leads as to where the suspects may be staying. Detectives with the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office traveled to Arizona on 02/07/22 and worked with the Marshals and Mohave County. The three suspects were arrested in Fort Mohave, AZ on 02/08/22. They were booked into the Mohave County Jail.

All three suspects will be extradited to Washington State in the near future. The investigation is ongoing. The Stevens County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Border Patrol and the United States Marshals Service for their assistance in this investigation.

Sheriff Brad A. Manke

Stevens County Sheriff’s Office