Investigators said a body found on state forest land was 34-year-old Tori Garza.
CLARK COUNTY, Wash. — A 66-year-old Woodland man was arrested on suspicion of killing a 34-year-old Vancouver woman whose body was found this month on state forest land in eastern Clark County, authorities said. Detectives said he was booked on multiple felony accusations after a search warrant at his home.
Investigators have released few details about how the woman died, but they described the case as suspicious from the start and said they found evidence of foul play during a search of the suspect’s residence. The arrest ends the first stage of a homicide investigation that began Feb. 14, after a passerby reported a body in a forested area near a logging road. It also raises new questions about the victim’s final days and the suspect’s relationship to her, questions officials said they are still working to answer.
Deputies and detectives responded Feb. 14 to a report of a woman’s body on state forest land near DNR-1100 Road in eastern Clark County, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said. Detectives with the agency’s Major Crimes Unit worked with the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office and determined the death was suspicious, prompting a homicide investigation. Two days later, on Feb. 16, a family member reported 34-year-old Tori Garza missing after not hearing from her for several days, authorities said. Garza was last known to be staying at a house in the 9400 block of Northwest 17th Avenue in Vancouver. Friends and relatives told investigators she had not been heard from since Feb. 9, the sheriff’s office said.
A close friend, Michelle Boothby, said she last spoke with Garza on Feb. 9 and immediately felt something was wrong when Garza did not show up for plans the two had made that day. “Tori always kept in contact with those she loved, so it was very unusual when nobody heard from her,” Boothby said in an interview carried by local television station KPTV. Boothby said she never heard from Garza again after that date. Detectives later confirmed that the body found in the woods was Garza. Authorities said she previously used the name Victoria Mills, a detail that became important as investigators worked to confirm identity and reconstruct her movements.
Early in the investigation, detectives served a search warrant at the Vancouver home where Garza was believed to have been staying, but officials said they found no signs of foul play there. Investigators then focused on building a timeline for the victim’s final known day. Detectives reviewed Garza’s cellphone records and located an online advertisement for escort services that they said was posted Feb. 9. Authorities have not publicly described what, if any, connection that ad had to the killing, but they said it was a key lead as they mapped Garza’s last movements. The sheriff’s office said detectives located cameras in areas where the victim’s cellphone traveled and were helped by private parties who provided video clips.
Those clips were analyzed and compared with automatic license plate reader data collected by cameras mounted on sheriff’s office patrol vehicles, authorities said. Using that mix of records, detectives identified a suspect vehicle and determined it belonged to Andrew Thomas Brunette, 66, of Woodland, the sheriff’s office said. On Feb. 24, detectives, assisted by the Lower Columbia SWAT team and the Woodland Police Department, served a search warrant at Brunette’s home in the 200 block of Marty Loop. Officials said evidence of foul play was found inside the residence and Brunette was taken into custody.
Neighbors said the search unfolded in full view of a normally quiet street. Miguel Favela, who lives nearby, recorded video of officers ordering Brunette out of the home. Favela said Brunette walked outside wearing a robe with his hands raised and was taken into custody without incident. Favela’s wife, Niki, said the news was difficult for families on the block. “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. “You think you know your neighbors, but maybe you don’t know all of them very well.” The couple said they had known Brunette for years and had socialized with him, describing prior interactions as friendly.
Brunette was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, patronizing a prostitute and unlawful disposal of human remains, authorities said. It was not immediately clear what, if any, charges prosecutors had filed in court or whether Brunette had an attorney who could comment on the accusations. Officials also have not released the cause or manner of Garza’s death, nor have they described where investigators believe she was killed. The sheriff’s office said only that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional details were not being released.
Friends of Garza said they want the focus to remain on her life and the people who loved her. Boothby said she felt relief that an arrest had been made, but said she also worried that public discussion of Garza’s struggles could overshadow who she was to family and friends. “I think what you do for your profession or hobby shouldn’t affect your life, and even though she had some struggles, I still think she deserved to live,” Boothby said. She described Garza as caring, funny and intelligent, and said she was a daughter, partner and friend whose absence is deeply felt.
Investigators asked anyone with information about Garza’s recent activities or Brunette to contact the Clark County Sheriff’s Office tip line. The sheriff’s office said detectives are continuing to gather records, review video and interview people connected to the victim’s final days as they build the case.
Author note: Last updated February 27, 2026.