JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OR — Human remains buried on property in Josephine County, Oregon, have been identified as Andrew Forrest Odom, a 67-year-old Incline Village man who had been reported missing earlier this month.
Authorities said Odom was reported missing to the Medford Police Department on Oct. 1. Investigators later determined he had traveled from Carson City to Medford on Sept. 21 and was last known to be in Josephine County on Sept. 22.
The identification came after a series of developments that began with a welfare-related visit to a home in the area and escalated into a deadly shooting investigation.
Investigators traced Odom's movements from Carson City to southern Oregon
Police pieced together Odom’s last known movements as they searched for him. Investigators say he traveled from Carson City to Medford on Sept. 21 before ending up in Josephine County the next day.
That timeline became central to the missing-person case after Odom was formally reported missing to Medford police on Oct. 1. From there, detectives focused on the Josephine County property where he was last known to be seen.
No details were released about why Odom was in the area or what led investigators to the property, but the discovery ultimately connected the missing-person case to the broader homicide investigation.
Oregon State Police visit led to shots fired at officers
On Oct. 6, Oregon State Police officers went to a home in the area to speak with a person as part of the investigation. According to authorities, that person ran into a nearby home and fired shots at officers.
Grants Pass police and the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office were then called to assist at the scene. Officers cleared the residence after the standoff-like encounter and found two dead men inside with apparent gunshot wounds.
Authorities have not said whether the person who fired at officers was one of the dead men or whether anyone else was taken into custody. The violent encounter widened the scope of the search and shifted attention to the occupants of the residence.
Two Odom relatives found dead inside the residence
The two men found dead inside the home were identified as 73-year-old Rick Odom and his son, 40-year-old Spencer Odom. Investigators later determined Spencer Odom died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Rick Odom was the brother of Andrew Odom, linking the missing-person case directly to the deaths found at the property. That family connection helped investigators connect the remains discovered later with the broader case.
Authorities have not released a motive or described the circumstances that led to the shooting deaths. For now, officials have only confirmed the relationship among the men and the fact that the investigation remains active.
Buried remains identified two days after the shooting scene was cleared
Two days after officers found the two dead men, detectives returned with help from the Oregon State Police Crime Lab and located human remains buried on the property. Those remains were later identified as Andrew Odom.
The discovery closed a major gap in the missing-person investigation, confirming that Odom had died and tying him to the Josephine County site where police had already responded to gunfire.
Officials have not said how long the remains had been buried there or what evidence led detectives to that specific location on the property. The identification, however, confirmed that the man reported missing from Incline Village was found in Oregon.
What authorities have said about the continuing investigation
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing. So far, they have identified the dead as Andrew Forrest Odom, Rick Odom and Spencer Odom, and they have described the circumstances that led officers to the property.
But many questions remain unanswered, including what happened before officers arrived, what prompted the shots fired at police and how Andrew Odom ended up buried on the property. Investigators have not released additional details about the timeline beyond the dates already confirmed.
With the case still open, local and state agencies continue to work through the sequence of events that linked a missing-person report in Medford to a death investigation in Josephine County.
