Missing Aurora Man Found Dead by Natural Causes

The man's son allegedly continued to receive and spend his father's money for about a year after he died.

Family reported 87-year old Henry Conley Fitchett Jr., had been missing since September of 2016.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Deputies were called to a residence near Aurora on January 29th to investigate a missing person. Family told deputies that 87-year old Henry Conley Fitchett Jr., had been missing since September of 2016.

According to Investigators, Ed Fitchett’s stepson called police on January 29 after “getting a confusing story” from Ed about where the elderly grandfather was.

February 16th, Detectives with the Marion County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at a home in the 21000 block of Hubbard Cutoff Road NE, near Aurora.

During the search, detectives found the deceased body of Henry Conley Fitchett in a freezer, at the same home he had shared with his son for the last 14 years.

59-year old Edward Fitchett, Henry Conley Fitchett's son, was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail for the crimes of Theft I, Criminal Mistreatment I, Identity Theft I and Abuse of a Corpse.

Ed was in charge of his father’s money, including about $2000 per month in PERS and Social Security payments.

An autopsy was scheduled and performed by the Oregon State Medical Examiner to determine the cause of death.

Yesterday Detectives were notified by the Oregon State Medical Examiners Office that Henry Fitchett died of natural causes.

A plea hearing is set for March 3 in the Fitchett case.