Gano Likely Died from Natural Causes

DAYTON – The cause of death remains unknown in the case of Shirley "Ben" Gano, the 88-year-old Oregon man whose body was found near Starbuck last week, Columbia County Coroner Rea Culwell told The Times on Monday.

Preliminary results from Monday's autopsy, however, indicate that the manner of Gano's death was natural, according to Culwell.

More tests will be conducted, but at this time the cause of death could not be determined "due to the condition of the body," she said.

Gano's body was located in a ravine several hundred feet from his vehicle near Starbuck on Monday, June 15. Gano was last...