A 66-year-old Woodland man was jailed on suspicion of first-degree murder after deputies identified a missing Vancouver woman as the body found on state forest land in eastern Clark County, authorities said.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office said the victim, 34-year-old Tori Garza, was discovered Feb. 14 near a remote forest road and later reported missing by a family member. Investigators said they used cellphone records, surveillance video and automatic license plate reader data to identify a suspect vehicle and link it to Andrew Thomas Brunette. The sheriff’s office said Brunette was arrested Feb. 24 after a search of his home turned up evidence of foul play, though officials have not released a cause of death or described what was seized.
Deputies were called Feb. 14 to state forest land near DNR-1100 Road after a report of a deceased woman, the sheriff’s office said. Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit worked with the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office and determined the death was suspicious, officials said, but they did not disclose what made the case a homicide investigation. Two days later, on Feb. 16, a family member told deputies they had not heard from Garza, who was last known to be staying at a home in the 9400 block of Northwest 17th Avenue in Vancouver, authorities said. Detectives said friends and associates also had not heard from her since Feb. 9. Garza previously used the name Victoria Mills, the sheriff’s office said, and detectives later confirmed the body found in the woods was her.
Investigators said the first steps focused on the Vancouver address where Garza had been staying. Detectives obtained and served a search warrant at the home Feb. 16, but said they found no indications of foul play there. From there, detectives traced Garza’s recent movements by reviewing her cellphone records and looking for records that could help narrow her last known contacts and locations, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators also located an online advertisement for escort services posted Feb. 9, authorities said. Detectives then sought camera footage from areas where Garza’s phone traveled and said private parties provided video clips that helped fill gaps in the timeline. Officials said that video was analyzed and compared with automatic license plate reader data collected by cameras mounted on sheriff’s patrol vehicles.
That comparison led detectives to a suspect vehicle that authorities said belonged to Brunette, who lived in the 200 block of Marty Loop in Woodland. On Feb. 24, sheriff’s office detectives, assisted by the Lower Columbia SWAT team and the Woodland Police Department, served a search warrant at the home, authorities said. Brunette was taken into custody and booked into the Cowlitz County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, patronizing a prostitute and unlawful disposal of human remains, officials said. The sheriff’s office said the search located evidence of foul play but did not describe what investigators found or how it ties Brunette to Garza’s death. Authorities also have not said whether they believe Garza died at the forest site or whether her remains were moved there.
The case has left major questions unanswered while the investigation moves through early stages. Detectives have not said how Garza and Brunette knew each other, whether they had met before February, or what their last contact looked like. Authorities have not identified a weapon, released toxicology results or confirmed the cause and manner of death. The sheriff’s office also has not said who found Garza’s body or what prompted the initial call that brought deputies to the forest road. Officials have described the area as state forest land reached by gravel access roads, a setting where long stretches can have little traffic, few lights and limited cell coverage.
Friends of Garza said her sudden silence raised alarms. Michelle Boothby, who described herself as a close friend, said she last heard from Garza on Feb. 9 and they had planned to meet that day. “Tori always kept in contact with those she loved, so it was very unusual when nobody heard from her,” Boothby said. After Brunette’s arrest, Boothby said she felt some relief that investigators had a suspect, but she also worried that public attention would reduce Garza’s life to the circumstances investigators are still sorting out. Boothby said she hoped people would remember Garza as caring, funny and intelligent.
In Woodland, neighbors said the arrest was hard to absorb in a quiet residential area where children play outside and people recognize each other. Miguel Favela, who lives nearby, said he recorded video as SWAT officers instructed Brunette to come out and then took him into custody. Favela’s wife, Niki, said the allegations were difficult for families on the street to process. “Especially with what they say he’s done, it’s been hard to process, and it’s hard for our kids to process,” she said. Neighbors said they had seen Brunette over the years and were trying to understand how a homicide investigation could touch their block.
As of Sunday, Brunette remained in custody while detectives continued their investigation. Authorities said they are not releasing additional details yet, and any next court dates and filings were not immediately announced in the sheriff’s office update. Investigators said they are still seeking information about Garza’s and Brunette’s activities in the days before she was found.
Author note: Last updated March 1, 2026.