In a grim discovery that has shaken the Woodland community, the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office shared details of a homicide investigation unfolding on Old Lewis River Rd. According to a social media post by the Sheriff's Office, at 1853 hours on December 16, 2025, they received a chilling call from a person claiming to have spoken with 67-year-old Ricky Dean Miller, who allegedly confessed to having killed someone and hiding the body on his property.
When deputies arrived at Miller's address, they found themselves at the beginning of a macabre investigation. They contacted Miller, subsequently obtained a search warrant, and during the search of his property, they discovered the body of a man, Dennis Eugene Schmitt, aged 71, concealed within a barrel. The shooter and the victim reportedly kept separate homes on the expansive property where Miller, who is now facing significant legal trouble, was Schmitt's landlord. The online notice revealed Miller's arrest and arraignment on Murder 2nd Degree and Unlawful Disposal of Human Remains charges, a stark reminder of the alleged heinous act perpetrated against Schmitt.
Further thickening the plot, an autopsy was conducted on December 19. The results laid bare a brutal narrative of the victim's final moments: Schmitt suffered multiple blunt-force trauma to the head along with evidence of strangulation. These forensic details paint a picture of violence that culminated in a desperate attempt to conceal a life taken too soon. The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office has issued an appeal for more information, urging anyone with knowledge of this case to contact Detective James Hanberry at 360-577-3092. Conscientious citizens hold the key to furthering justice in this unsettling chapter of Woodland's local history.
The Sheriff's Office has made it clear that any additional information could be crucial. Cowlitz County Jail now houses one Ricky Miller, a man who, if the allegations hold, crossed the thin line between civility and savagery; he has yet to face trial, where the contours of truth will be pursued by both defense and prosecution in this stark reminder that underneath the veneer of our everyday interactions, darker stories can lurk, waiting for the light of justice to reveal them.
