A 66-year-old Woodland man was jailed on suspicion of first-degree murder after deputies found a missing Vancouver woman dead on state forest land in eastern Clark County, and investigators said cellphone records and video helped lead them to his home.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation began Feb. 14 when deputies responded to a report of a deceased woman near DNR-1100 Road, a forest access route in a remote part of the county. Two days later, relatives reported 34-year-old Tori Garza missing. Detectives later confirmed she was the woman found in the woods. The sheriff’s office said the suspect, Andrew Thomas Brunette, also faces accusations of patronizing a prostitute and unlawful disposal of human remains. Authorities have not released the cause of death or described the evidence they said was recovered during the investigation.
Deputies and detectives were called Feb. 14 to state forest land after someone reported finding the woman. Investigators said the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office and the sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit determined the death was suspicious and opened a homicide investigation. On Feb. 16, a family member told detectives they had not heard from Garza, who was last known to be staying at a residence in the 9400 block of Northwest 17th Avenue in Vancouver, the sheriff’s office said. Detectives reported that friends and associates had not heard from her since Feb. 9. Garza had previously used the name Victoria Mills, authorities said. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the Vancouver home on Feb. 16, but the sheriff’s office said they found no indication of foul play there.
After the search of the Vancouver address, detectives shifted to tracing Garza’s recent movements. The sheriff’s office said investigators reviewed her cellphone records and located an online advertisement for escort services that was posted Feb. 9. Detectives then sought video from areas where the victim’s phone traveled and said private parties provided clips that helped fill gaps in the timeline. Investigators compared video findings with automatic license plate reader data, which can log and time-stamp plate numbers, from cameras mounted on sheriff’s patrol vehicles, the sheriff’s office said. That work led detectives to a vehicle they linked to Brunette, authorities said. The sheriff’s office has not said whether Garza and Brunette knew each other before February, how they met, or how long they may have been in contact.
Detectives served a search warrant Feb. 24 at Brunette’s residence in the 200 block of Marty Loop in Woodland, the sheriff’s office said. The operation included help from the Lower Columbia SWAT team and the Woodland Police Department. Authorities said Brunette was taken into custody and that the search of the residence found evidence of foul play, but they did not describe what was seized or how it connects to Garza’s death. Brunette was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, patronizing a prostitute and unlawful disposal of human remains, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators have not said whether they are looking for additional suspects, and they have not released details about where Garza was last seen alive.
The charges suggest investigators believe the case involves more than one alleged act. The unlawful disposal accusation points to an allegation that Garza’s remains were moved or left in a way that violated state law, though authorities have not said when or how they believe that happened. The patronizing accusation indicates investigators believe a commercial sex transaction was involved, but the sheriff’s office has not explained whether it is central to the alleged killing, part of the timeline, or supported by records that are not yet public. Detectives also have not said whether the medical examiner has completed an autopsy or toxicology testing, or whether the investigation has identified a weapon or a specific cause of death.
Investigators said the case turned on digital traces and a growing set of records, including cellphone data, surveillance video from multiple locations and plate reader hits captured by patrol units. Those tools are often used to narrow a timeline and connect a person or vehicle to a series of places and times, especially when a victim’s final hours are unclear. In this case, detectives said they followed the path of Garza’s phone and then used video and plate reader information to identify a suspect vehicle. Authorities have not said how many locations were reviewed, how much video was collected, or whether forensic testing from the Woodland search has been completed. The sheriff’s office said it is still not releasing specific details about the evidence.
The wooded area where Garza was found sits on the east side of Clark County, where state-managed forest land is reached by gravel roads and long stretches without lighting or homes. Officials have not publicly identified who discovered her remains or what prompted the initial call on Feb. 14, and they have not provided a detailed map of the location beyond the road reference. Detectives sometimes return to forest scenes to search for items that may have been missed in early work, but the sheriff’s office has not said whether additional searches are planned. Authorities also have not said whether they believe the death happened in the woods or whether the location was used to conceal or abandon remains.
Friends described Garza as someone who stayed in touch and was hard to reach only when something was wrong. Michelle Boothby, who said she was a close friend, told local media she last heard from Garza on Feb. 9 and that they had planned to meet that day. Boothby said Garza’s sudden silence was not normal. After an arrest was announced, Boothby said she felt relief that investigators had a suspect, while still fearing that parts of Garza’s life would distract from the violence of her death. She said Garza was caring, funny and intelligent, and added that the people close to her were focused on remembering her that way as the case moves forward.
Neighbors in Woodland said the police activity was jarring on a street where children play and residents recognize each other by name. One neighbor said the presence of SWAT officers and the calls for the suspect to come outside were difficult to absorb in the middle of a normal day. Others said they were trying to understand how a homicide investigation could touch their block. Authorities have not said what neighbors may have seen that relates directly to Garza’s last days, or whether investigators are seeking more witnesses from the area where the suspect lived.
Brunette remained in custody as of Sunday, March 1, while detectives continued their investigation. The sheriff’s office said additional details were not being released. Investigators asked anyone with information about the activities of Garza or Brunette to contact the Clark County Sheriff’s Office tip line.
Author note: Last updated March 1, 2026.