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Danny Lee, left, explains why he thinks his brother Perry Lee's death was a homicide, while friend John Yaden measures the distance from the bank wall to where Perry Lee's body was found Aug. 28 in a Castle Rock parking lot. Bill Wagner / The Daily News.

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Several people claim Castle Rock man's death was no accident

Friday, September 5, 2008 2:18 AM PDT

By Thacher Schmid

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Authorities say all the evidence surrounding the death of railroad maintenance man Perry Lee, whose body was found in a Castle Rock parking lot Aug. 28, points to a freak accident.

While Cowlitz County Coroner Tim Davidson called Lee’s death “queer,” he and Castle Rock police say it’s an uncomplicated case of a man who stumbled, hit his head on concrete and died.

Danny Lee, however, is convinced there’s more to his older brother’s death — and he’s not alone.

“I don’t believe for a minute that it was an accident,” said Lee, who works on the local Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, just like his brother did.

“It just doesn’t add up,” said Michelle LaBaum, the bartender who closed the Pastime with Perry Lee after 11 p.m. Aug. 27, and the last known person to see Lee alive.

“I’d say it’s unlikely,” said Richard Moore, who didn’t know Lee but lives nearby and saw the body even before police after hearing the 911 call on his scanner. “God, it just doesn’t seem like it could be an accident.”

The death

This much is clear: Perry Lee, 50, was drinking at the Pastime in downtown Castle Rock for four hours on Wednesday night Aug. 27. He had “six or seven” beers that night, LaBaum estimated — and a shot of liquor. “That was nothing for him,” LaBaum said. “He was a big guy. He was a drinker.”

LaBaum closed up around 11:15 p.m. and smoked a cigarette with Lee, the only remaining patron, outside the bar. A friend picked LaBaum up. Lee left on foot, LaBaum said, walking past his car, parked behind the convention center next door.

Castle Rock Officer Branden McNew said a 911 call came in at 7:24 a.m. after Lee’s body was discovered in the parking lot behind Castle Rock First Baptist Church, just a few hundred feet from the bar. The body was perpendicular to a slight embankment, feet near the parking lot’s edge. Davidson put the time of death at around 2 a.m.

The accident

Toxicology results are pending, and Castle Rock police say they’re happy to investigate any new leads that come in, but they and the coroner say all the evidence points to a tragic alcohol-related accident.

Chief Bob Heuer, Sgt. Scott Neves and McNew say they minutely examined the scene. The only place blood was found was in the parking lot, pooled from the head wound. They canvassed the area and spoke with neighbors, and there were no unusual reports — no barking dogs or suspicious characters.

“We’ve had a lot of people go, ‘Hey, we think it’s foul play,’” Heuer said. “We haven’t had any evidence that would lead us in that direction.”

Davidson said the fatal blow to the right temple is consistent with a “contrecoup” brain injury, in which the brain is damaged by the rebound after striking the interior of the skull. Lee fell down the 4-foot, sloped bank, authorities say, hit his head and died. In one hand, he held car keys; in the other, spearmint gum. There was a clear footprint in the embankment, Officer McNew said, likely his last step.

Heuer said when he arrived on scene, the evidence was clear.

“The asphalt there has a little lip to it,” Heuer said. “It didn’t take a lot of imagination.”

“Everything matched up,” McNew agreed.

Loose ends

Danny Lee, LaBaum and neighbor Richard Moore — who didn’t know Lee — say there was no reason for Lee to be walking toward a row of houses behind an empty parking lot. The problems with the accident theory, they believe, start with Lee’s relative sobriety and the street light illuminating the spot where Lee fell. Other loose ends in the official version include:

• Perry Lee was scheduled to testify at 9 a.m. in Cowlitz County Superior Court — just seven hours after his death. The hearing, in a civil case involving the Lees’ sister, was cancelled when Lee’s death became known.

• Moore’s gut reaction was that the body was in a highly unlikely position for such a fall. He said the Lee was positioned with both arms straight down, palms up, several feet out from the embankment. That recollection contradicts a police photograph shown to a reporter. Moore admits he’s not positive.

“That would be a 13-foot dive,” said John Yader, a friend of Danny Lee’s, as he used a measuring tape to determine the distance from where Lee’s head rested to the top of the embankment. “Who falls without putting their hand in front of him?”

• Perry Lee’s pickup was parked behind the Castle Rock Exhibit Hall next door when Lee left walking, recalls LaBaum. She’s sure of this because another bartender noticed Lee’s lights were on earlier that night and he went out to turn them off. The next morning, it was parked across the street from the bar.

• Lee’s pants and underwear were bunched up, Moore observed — suggesting he was carried and dropped there. Danny Lee heard the same observation from a different neighbor. “Nobody walks around with a wedgie,” Danny Lee said. He believes the estimated time of death, 2 a.m., is also suspicious.

• Lee was a “scrapper,” a tough outdoorsman in good shape, and wasn’t drunk enough to die that way, Danny Lee and LaBaum said. “If you would have told me Perry got in a car wreck, I could have believed it,” LaBaum said. “He’s a hunter, a fisherman, he goes up and down banks all the time,” Danny Lee said. “He’s going to trip over that little bank here and hit his head and die? Nobody in town buys that.”

• Danny Lee said his brother fought “this big biker guy” who was harassing a young local couple during the Dick Andrea Memorial Grand National Motorcycle Race in Castle Rock in early August. He said Perry Lee won that fight, and that the biker was seen in the Pastime earlier that night.

Danny Lee even said he can’t rule out a professional hit, and will keep poking around until he finds the truth.

A candid man, Danny Lee also admits he is an alcoholic, and so was his brother.

Castle Rock police say no biker was seen in the bar on Aug. 27, which LaBaum confirms. They say Lee’s pants and underwear were not bunched, and there would have been other blood trails or evidence if Lee had been murdered.

“Everything is written and backed up by photographs,” explained Davidson, who was at the scene that morning. His office’s investigation is independent of Castle Rock police, he explained.

“If we don’t have a lead that comes out, a new witness, when that toxicology report comes out, we’ll close the case,” Heuer said.

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Gondolapete wrote on Sep 5, 2008 12:17 AM:

" So how does the neighbor who does not know him all the sudden become relevant on the "Facts"? "

tazer baby wrote on Sep 5, 2008 1:41 AM:

" I am sure that if there was any evidence of foul play tied to this terrible ACCIDENT, two seperate and professionally trained investigative agencies would have discovered it. This is what these investigators do for a living and I have complete and utter confidence in their abilities to competently determine the cause and manner of deaths that occur in our county. "

missymae wrote on Sep 5, 2008 1:50 AM:

" I truly believe It was just a freak accident that no one wants to believe I mean It happens I went to school with a guy that went home drunk and choked to death on a piece of meat strange but It's true. maybe he just lost his balance and fell let the guy rest In peace. my prayers to the family may you find the answers your looking for. good luck with the Investigation. "

Beavis Carries a .45 wrote on Sep 5, 2008 7:51 AM:

" I like the part where Danny Lee says that he thinks it was a "professional hit." Come on Danny. It's Castle Rock for cripes sake. I feel bad for the gentleman dying, but professional hit, no. Freak accident, yes. "

Ella Mentry wrote on Sep 5, 2008 7:52 AM:

" Yes...it's utterly impossible to imagine an intoxicated man falling and hitting his head. "

Mrs. Pellwerds wrote on Sep 5, 2008 8:25 AM:

" So the guy drank a six pack or more of beer, then topped that off with a shot of "liquor" for the road, and then trip and fell and hit his head. You are right, that doesn't add up. Most people should be passed out drunk be then. "

Past Chinook wrote on Sep 5, 2008 8:38 AM:

" I do believe that people tend to dig a little deeper for the "facts" when it envolves a loved one, however, things such as "the neighbor who does not know him" coming forward with information is exactly how the case will get new info. Gondolapete- Have you never heard or seen the law enforcement announce for anyone with information to please call...? And I would like to point out that if this man is a "drinker" six or seven beers with one shot over a period of four hours is not enough to cause this man to become completly incoherent, especially enough to take a fall like this one without trying to correct or catch himself in any way... Unfortunatly the law enforcement cannot make comments one way or the other unless there is positive evidence, and that seems to be lacking in this case. "

just me again wrote on Sep 5, 2008 8:45 AM:

" What a sad thing to happen to this man. I drive by the parking lot where he was found daily, and can see how in the dark you could lose your footing and fall down. I am surprised more cars don't drive off the edge there avoiding delivery trucks to the store. I see no reason that the CR police and the coroner would be trying to cover up any sort of homicide or "hit." I have seen nothing but wonderful officers with a lot of integrity here in CR. So sorry to the family of Mr. Lee. "

radical one wrote on Sep 5, 2008 8:52 AM:

" The problems with the accident theory, they believe, start with Lees relative sobriety He had six or seven beers that night, LaBaum estimated and a shot of liquor. That estimate comes from a bartender who is legally obligated not to over serve. It is possible he may have had more alcohol that she didnt know about. With the stated amount he drank, he was probably more than two times legally intoxicated depending on body weight. Who falls without putting their hand in front of him? People who are intoxicated. That said, it is a sad story for Perry's family, friends and co-workers. It's tough to loose a friend. My sympathy to all. "

mkb617 wrote on Sep 5, 2008 9:30 AM:

" I have a lot of sympathy for this mans friends and family but anyone can trip and fall even when completly sober. You do not have to be drunk to get distracted or just plain clumsy for a moment. "

Past Chinook wrote on Sep 5, 2008 9:53 AM:

" mkb617- Thank you, that is what I was getting at! I feel sorry for his friends and family. I can only imagine that this is the very last thing his friends and family would want everyone to focus on. Obviously this man was a hard worker and had a good job. Maybe it was purely an accident that had NOTHING to do with drinking. "

the grateful Dad wrote on Sep 5, 2008 10:09 AM:

" Today I will be completely graceful, elegant, and flawless... or maybe i will just say "um" a lot and stumble around. It happens to the best of us, even sober, we lose our balance and fall. If we hit our head, it can be a small bump, or it can kill us. There was no crime here, except for that of a bartender that overserved a regular customer. Sad. Tragic. "

Past Chinook wrote on Sep 5, 2008 10:22 AM:

" mkb617- Thank you! This is what I was trying to say! "

South of the river wrote on Sep 5, 2008 11:46 AM:

" I can understand that some of you aren't drinkers, but a six pack and one shot over a four hour span would barely put the guy over the legal limit, and to a regular drinker, that is really nothing. I don't know much about the other relevent facts in this case, but I do know alchohol and drinkers, as I've spent my time on both sides of a bar. It sounds suspicious to me, and if the toxicology report agrees with the bartender, its my feeling that the police should start a serious investigation. "

bomdrea wrote on Sep 5, 2008 11:53 AM:

" I was very close to Perry Lee. He was like a father to me! His wife Kathy is my other mother. Reading all these comments that people have written makes me sad! For anyone that knew him, knew he was a drinker but he was also a man that could hold his own. He would never have been in that parking lot for any reason! Why was he there? No one can figure it out. Seems to me like the police just want to shrug it off like it's no big deal! I know that there are people who do this everyday and they don't see it being a homicide but they see it as him falling? That makes no sense and I just pray to God that this whole thing will surface eventually. It's a small town and someone is going to slip up if it was a murder. We all will miss him tremendously and we will think of him all the time! "

Gondolapete wrote on Sep 5, 2008 12:20 PM:

" My friends dad died EXACTLY in this same manner..drunk, walking through a parking lot at night, fell hit head, died..Very tragic, very sad, but more common than people think, yet for months, while my friend was certain how it happened, other family members assumed the same thing as well, that perhaps other events took place. That is common when its a person close to you, but the chances of it being a professional hit is slime to none..And justr because you think you know how much someone can handle their booze does mean that is the reality of it. "

loudly wrote on Sep 5, 2008 12:20 PM:

" You gotta be kidding me. This smells of people who have nothing better to do fabricating "evidence" and "loose ends" to stir up controversy. The guy tripped plain and simple. It might be hard to believe but that's exactly what it sounds like happened. Fate is a strange thing. Finally, I read in the article that the man was an alcoholic. Knowing many alcoholics I find it hard to believe that he only had 8 drinks over a four hour period. If his family and friends are so sure that this was a murder then maybe they can pony up some money for a PI to find out the "truth". "

no one wrote on Sep 5, 2008 1:19 PM:

" Re: Loudly...it smells more to me like a grieving family trying to come up with way to make sense of a tragedy. Something more meaningful than "he got drunk and hit his head". There but for the grace of God go you. I hope it never happens to you or anyone, but if it did I think you would hope others weren't so accusatory and had enough insight to see what was really going on if you start grasping at straws in order for it to make sense in your mind. "

country gal wrote on Sep 5, 2008 1:41 PM:

" I can't believe all the judgmental comments I'm reading. My condolences to bomdrea and to the grieving families and friends of Peter Lee. "

Pinky wrote on Sep 5, 2008 1:52 PM:

" The distance measured where his body was found and the placement seem strange to me...was he running? A 13 foot dive?!?!? Also putting your hands in front you is a natural defense mechanism that you cannot shut off.. It is part of your body's flight or fight defenses. I have know plenty of drinkers and what this man drank sounds like nothing to someone who is a heavy drinker. What about his vehicle moving, when he left on foot? How do the police account for that? The trial? I didn't know this guy, but the circumstances involving his death do sound fishy to me.... I have faith that our police department will research all leads equally and fairly! "

Adolph Oliver-Bush wrote on Sep 5, 2008 1:59 PM:

" He was a drinker that fell and cracked his head. It's that simple. A person's skull is not as hard as one might think. Sad story, but it was a freak accident...And this is a perfect example of why we need helmet laws.....Not for walking around, but for motorcycles, 4 wheelers and bicycles...Duh... "

irritated wrote on Sep 5, 2008 2:36 PM:

" You are talking about Castle Rock and Cowlitz County investigators. Perry's family and friends may want to bring in a professional from outside the county to make sure that everything is looked at. "

mkb wrote on Sep 5, 2008 2:56 PM:

" I have a lot of sympathy for this mans friends and family but anyone can trip and fall even when completly sober. You do not have to be drunk to get distracted or just plain clumsy for a moment. "

concerned wrote on Sep 5, 2008 3:16 PM:

" re irritated: Oh come on the man got drunk and fell and now your saying the family should ger professionals to look at the evidence. I feel sorry for the mans family but this is getting out of hand with thinking it was something other then a terrible accident. "

just a mom wrote on Sep 5, 2008 3:19 PM:

" Let's not ignore the fact that bartenders may have over-served him. What if he would have got in his vehicle and killed himself, or another person? Only then would people question him being over-served? I feel bad for his family. "

banana hammock wrote on Sep 5, 2008 5:07 PM:

" do you remember the so called accident at the lake when the lady was crossing the road?

Nice investigation work, sounds like we had the same here.

i like the Lee's grew up with them. good Kelse people.

Perry rest in peace.

Dan and Wendy sorry this happened "

just a citizen wrote on Sep 5, 2008 6:43 PM:

" People need to realize that this was a man with a family who loves him dearly. We all need to think about words that are said in regards to Mr. Lee. No matter if he liked to drink alot or not. I feel for the family and send my preyers to them in their time of heart felt sorrow!! I hope that you find what you are looking for and that if someone did this to him I hope that your family will get the justice you diserve in his death. I know how you feel I have been in your possition with a uncle who was lost and was thought to have been a accident and years later his killer was arrested. Good luck in your search for answers and you are in my preyers. God Bless You!! "

Piper wrote on Sep 5, 2008 7:57 PM:

" Boy, there are a lot of crack investigators out there. I say, just keep an open mind. If there were no witnesses, no one knows for sure. Even you cops, Tazer Baby. "

lola*in*longview wrote on Sep 5, 2008 10:29 PM:

" Who knows, it very well could have been a murder, STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED "

superchop7 wrote on Sep 7, 2008 11:26 PM:

" I have spoken with the coroner, the police, I have viewed the body, spoken to the bartender... I have measured the scene.....had a seperate forensics lab do the math.

The police are adamant that they know "his last step"....problem is....he would have had to have been traveling 12mph in order to land where he did.....So....why would he be running ?

The point of impact was towards the top of the head, I witnessed a large bump by his eye, I did not see any scraping as if asphalt had caused the wound.

Lastly, the positioning of the body was very odd.

There will be a secondary agency look at the circumstances. "

mole wrote on Sep 8, 2008 10:53 AM:

" CASTLE ROCK INVESTIGATORS, NEEDS TO LOOK AT THIS THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES.LIKE REAL HOMICIDE PEOPLE THAT DEAL WITH MUREDER,NOT SPEEDING TICKETS. "

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