The victim of an apparent homicide in the Olympia area on July 3 has been identified as David Poplack, 49, of Olympia.
The Thurston County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy on Tuesday, July 7. Following the autopsy, the Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock confirmed Poplack's cause of death was due to multiple sharp force injuries and the manner of death was homicide.
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a report of a death in the 3700 block of Wesley Loop NW at approximately 9 p.m. on Friday, July 3.
According to a July 4 news release from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, “Evidence at the scene strongly indicated that the victim, a 49-year-old Olympia man, died due to homicidal violence.”
Detectives responded and assumed the investigation.
Detectives worked through the night to identify, locate and facilitate the apprehension of the suspect.
The suspect has been tentatively identified by the victim’s family as David’s son, Forest, 26, of Olympia.
The Cowlitz County Coroner's Office confirmed Wednesday that it was still waiting on confirmation of the suspect's ID. His cause and manner of death were still pending as of Wednesday afternoon.
Detectives reportedly located Forest at a residence in northeast Longview on Saturday, July 4.
He suffered a medical emergency shortly after his arrest and died, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office detectives subsequently served a search warrant at the Longview residence, where they located evidence linking the suspect to the homicide, as well as items that may have contributed to his medical emergency.
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 stated, “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.”
