The suspect in an Olympia-area homicide on July 3 has been positively identified by the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office as Forest N. Poplack, 26, of Olympia.
Detectives reportedly located Forest at a residence in northeast Longview on Saturday, July 4, during an investigation into a death reported in the 3700 block of Wesley Loop NW at approximately 9 p.m. on Friday, July 3.
Forest suffered a medical emergency shortly after his arrest and died, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office detectives have served a search warrant at the Longview residence where Forest was arrested. At the residence, they reportedly located evidence linking the suspect to the homicide, as well as items that may have contributed to his medical emergency.
The Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office has completed Forest’s autopsy, but his cause and manner of death remain pending as additional investigation and testing are completed.
The victim has been identified by the Thurston County Coroner’s Office as David Poplack, 49, of Olympia.
Following an autopsy, the Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock confirmed David’s cause of death was due to multiple sharp force injuries and the manner of death was homicide.
The victim’s family has confirmed that David and Forest were father and son.
The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office is investigating the circumstances around Forest’s death.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate David’s death.
The Poplack family is asking for “compassion, respect, and privacy as we navigate this deeply painful time.”
In a July 6 statement to The Olympian, the family said, “This was a catastrophic mental health event. Forest was experiencing a profound psychiatric crisis, and the tragic outcome reflects the severity of that moment — not the nature of their relationship or the love within our family. David and Forest are survived by David’s parents, and by Forest’s sister and mother. The entire family is devastated by the loss of both a son and grandson, and a father and brother, within such a short time.”
