Arrest made in 2015 murder of Jeff Beach

WA man arrested in connection with 2015 murder of Jeff Beach

A 43-year-old man was arrested in connection with the murder of a Kent man in Long Beach in 2015, investigators said.

PACIFIC COUNTY, Wash. - A 43-year-old man was arrested in connection with the murder of a Kent man in Long Beach in 2015, investigators said.

The Pacific County Sheriff's Office said Charles Watts was arrested Friday night in the Vancouver area.

In 2015, 36-year-old Jeff Beach was in Long Beach for a softball tournament during the Fourth of July weekend. He was attacked at night in the sand dunes and later airlifted to Portland, where he died from his injuries.

Detectives have always believed the suspect or suspects who killed Beach lived in the Vancouver, Washington area. Beacon Plumbing owner Bill Cahill even funded four Crime Stoppers billboards there, offering a $36,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

Reward raised for Pacific County murder of Jeff Beach

Despite an extensive investigation, the case went cold.

After months of investigative efforts, new leads developed and led up to the arrest of Watts.

He was taken into custody and brought to the Pacific County Jail, where investigators said he was formally booked on charges of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter.

Each charge carries a bail set at $1 million.

Detectives continue to urge anyone with additional information related to the case to come forward. Tips can be reported anonymously through the Pacific County Sheriff's Office's tip line at 360-f875-9300 ext. 2847 or by emailing pcsoinfo@co.pacific.wa.us.