Blood found in Newman Lake workshop belongs to missing Spokane Valley man

Traces of blood found in a workshop in Newman Lake belong to a 32-year-old Spokane Valley man who has been missing for almost a year, according to new DNA tests.

Bret R. Snow was last seen on Dec. 3, 2015, and court documents say he may have been killed over a bad drug deal involving a group from Montana.

In June, detectives searched a residence in the 7800 block of North Starr Road in Newman Lake, where Snow’s cellphone was last active, according to court documents. Using a cadaver dog, they found blood and hair in a workshop in the backyard.

There were water stains on the workshop floor and blood splatters in the sink, leading detectives to believe someone tried to clean up the scene. There was also a hole in the backyard “similar to a grave,” but detectives found no evidence of a body there, according to court documents.

On Oct. 20, the state forensic lab confirmed the blood samples belonged to Snow.

No one has been charged in connection with his disappearance.

Court documents say a friend drove Snow and his dog to the Starr Road address late on Dec. 2. His phone stopped pinging local cell towers at 5:30 a.m. the next day.

Two residents told detectives Snow left with a group, leaving his dog at the house, according to court documents. A family member later retrieved the dog.

Snow’s mother reported him missing Dec. 15 after repeatedly calling him, friends and family members, according to court documents.

Family members told police that Snow was a drug user and frequently associated with drug dealers. One family member said she had been told that Snow had been killed by drug dealers, court documents say.

Detectives have been scouring cellphone records and interviewing persons of interest. They now appear to be focusing on two men from Montana.