Body found in Hazel Dell ID’d as Portland man

The deceased person whose body was found in Hazel Dell last week has been identified as a Portland man.

The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office identified 74-year-old Earl Darling as the man whose body was found by a passerby in a wooded area northeast of Northeast 78^th Street and 13^th Avenue on Sept. 8.

Though the medical examiner’s office said the cause of death is still under investigation, Clark County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Todd Barsness said that the investigation so far leads investigators to believe the injury that caused the death was self-inflicted.

The area that the man’s body was found is one frequented by transient campers, the sheriff’s office said.