RANDLE, Wash. — Two brothers are in the Lewis County jail, suspected of killing a teenager with who they grew up.
The murder of Ben Eastman has stunned the small community of Randle in Lewis County.
The manhunt for the suspects ended Friday night near Ellensburg.
The victim and one of the suspects were both sophomores last school year at White Pass Junior-Senior High School.
BJ Eastman says this small community is wrapping its arms around him.
"I haven't even been able to cycle through my social media," he said, "all of the condolences, all of the messages that people (are writing), that are pouring in."
He is slowly coming to terms with the unthinkable: the murder of his teenage son who bears his name.
"You can tell by the way the community has reacted, how many lives he's touched," Eastman said. "I mean, this is huge. This is huge. The whole community."
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The younger Ben was "all that you could expect out of a son," said his father. "Loved life, loved the outdoors, loved everybody."
For several days, his family thought he had gone camping with his friend, Benito Marquez; "Benny" they called him, who is also 16.
But when Ben still wasn't home Wednesday, they went to the Marquez home looking for answers. What Benny and his older brother, Jonathon Adamson, told them was alarming.
"Wouldn't look any of us in the eye, bBenny wouldn't," said Jamie Shanburn, Ben's grandather. "He went around and sat on the couch. And he said, 'I can't believe he's gone.'
And at this time, we're just now starting this investigation. We're just now looking for him."
The next day, investigators found Ben Eastman's battered body in a shallow grave on property the Marquez family owns.
By then, the brothers were on the run. They were spotted on I-90 near Ellensburg on Friday night. A Washington State Patrol trooper pulled them over and called the Lewis County sheriff.
"The next step is my office will make a charging decision," said Jonathan Meyer, Lewis County prosecutor.
The two will be seen in court on Monday. The autopsy was performed today. And we will be meeting with the family on Monday morning to discuss our charging decisions with them."
The day after they make their first court appearance, this community will hold a a vigil at White Pass Junior-Senior High school. But this story is now being told nationwide.
Singer-songwriter Brandy Clark grew up here in Randle.
She posted on Facebook that she is dedicating her show in Saint Louis, Missouri, Saturday night to Ben and his family.
The junior-senior high school provided counseling and pastoral help for anyone needing it Saturday night.
Cox Media Group
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