Warning: This story contains graphic and disturbing information
Editor's note: Above video is an initial report from April about the investigation
SPOKANE, Wash. — Authorities are investigating a Spokane man’s death as a homicide after parts of his body were found in a fire pit at his home on South Park Lane, according to newly released court documents.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office was initially investigating the case as a suspicious death.
Police have not yet identified a suspect or person of interest in the case.
A caller reported a vehicle with its door left open parked in the front yard of the home for two days on Saturday, April 6. The garage door had also been left open, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
When authorities arrived, they found broken glass and other damaged items as if the house had been ransacked, according to court documents.
Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies also detected the smell of feces and urine within the home.
According to court documents, a Spokane County Sheriff’s deputy said an item in the bathroom sink looked like the remnants of a dead animal. He said the smell was so bad that he had to step out of the room.
Authorities also found blood on the basement floor, according to court documents.
When they opened a door in the basement, they saw a man standing in front of them wearing only shorts and a T-shirt, according to court documents. He had no socks and a cut on the bottom of one of his feet.
Police initially detained the man because they believed he was a transient who was squatting in the house, according to court documents.
Police eventually determined that the man they had detained was Rex Porter’s son Derek, according to court documents. Porter’s daughter told authorities that Derek is autistic and non-verbal. She said her mother had passed away a couple of years ago and that her father cares for her Derek.
Porter’s daughter also told police that her brother can be violent and has attacked their father in the past, according to court documents.
When deputies approached the backyard, they noticed a human leg partially burned south of the fire pit, according to court documents. There was also a burned head and partial torso in the fire pit, along with another partially burned leg north of the pit.
An autopsy was conducted but the cause of death has not yet been determined due to the poor condition of Porter’s remains, according to court documents.
A neighbor, who says he has never seen or met the Porters, told police that he went to Porters' house to tell them to quiet two barking dogs on March 31. He said he rang the doorbell three times and there was no answer, according to court documents.
The neighbor also told police that he left town on Tuesday, April 2, and never saw or smelled fire before that time, according to court documents.
A police sergeant said he saw multiple surveillance cameras in various locations within the home that could be used to gather evidence related to the case, according to court documents.
Police are requesting authorization to recover any video that would show Rex and Derek Porter’s interactions and give them more information about the last time Rex Porter was in the house, according to court documents.
A search warrant has been issued for video surveillance footage, and access to a cellphone, laptop and 2 iPad tablets that police believe belonged to Rex Porter, among other items, according to court documents.