Dismembered Body Begins Murder Investigation

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Portland police are trying to identify the person who killed and dismembered Douglas Adamson, pictured here.

In September 2006, some of the most idyllic scenery in the country -- the Columbia River Gorge, which divides Oregon and Washington -- became something far more frightful: police say body parts began washing up on the shore near Portland, Ore.

First, a torso in a large duffel bag, then an arm, a leg, and another arm floated to the riverbank.  Cops began to try to unravel not one, but two mysteries: who was the dismembered victim, and who was the killer?

Complicating matters was the fact that crime scene stretched over several watery miles, and most clues had already washed away. Hope came when the Portland police department's forensics lab was able to recover fingerprints off of one of the victim's hands.  They now had a name for their John Doe: Douglas Adamson.

Adamson was an unemployed truck mechanic who lived in the area, but when police started interviewing family members, no one could figure who could have wanted him dead.  Adamson was a large man, weighing almost 275 lbs., making police believe that it was impossible for one person to kill and dismember him unaided. Cops now had at least two killers on their hands.

With few clues to go on, cops turned back to the river currents to help piece together a timeline. 

Detectives surmised that the killers' intention was to dispose of the body in the river and have the current carry it out to the ocean. But the plan didn't work as the limbs began surfacing.

Cops say that meant the body was ditched somewhere upstream beginning 60 miles away at the Bonneville Dam. Since there are no bridges or impediments to the westward river current, police believe that Adamson's remains were tossed off a long dock or the back of a boat.

Furthermore, forensics detectives say that the Adamson's body had to have been dumped in the week prior its discovery on September 17, 2006. Cops know knew that he was most likely killed on or shortly after September 12, the day he was reported missing. 

Investigation Yields Few Clues, More Questions

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When body parts began washing up on the Columbia River shores, some were discovered in this duffel bag.

Cops recovered Douglas' red pickup truck a few miles from the river and scoured it for clues. 

Without any blood evidence or fingerprints, police didn't have much more to go on.

Adamson's phone records showed six mysterious phone calls to Vancouver, Wash. Police would later confirm that these calls went to prepaid cell phones, which could not be traced.

Detectives believe that these phone calls hold the key to the Adamson murder mystery.

Cops say that after these phone calls were made, Douglas went to a neighborhood bar, and the patrons AMW interviewed said that he seemed fine at time. It was at that bar that Douglas Adamson was last seen alive.

Cops say one final clue involves the large duffel bag that contained Adamson's torso.

It was brand new and made by World Famous, a Canadian company. Police are asking for the public's assistance with any information involving the duffel bag and need the help of AMW viewers.