Remains of missing Malott man confirmed

OKANOGAN – A body recovered from the Okanogan River last month was positively identified last Friday, April 7, as that of a 26-year-old Malott man who had been missing since Dec. 14, Okanogan County coroner, Dave Rodriguez said.
The remains of Marco Antonio Aguilar-Cendajas were positively identified through dental records used by the King County Medical Examiner’s office.
“Initially, the information we got said there were no dental records but we found information contrary to that,” said Rodriguez. “The records were pretty old but they did the job.”
A preliminary examination performed by the medical examiner on March 21 was unable to determine identify or manner and cause of death.
Once those records were located, the coroner’s office returned the body to the King County Medical Examiner where a forensic odontologist, on contract through the Washington State Patrol, and operating out of the King County Dental Examiners Office, reexamined the remains and made the positive I.D., Rodriguez said.
“There are two things I’m tasked to do,” said Rodriguez explaining the role of his office. “that’s to determine the cause and manner of death.”
Rodriguez said there are five different possible manners: Natural death, Homicide, Suicide, Accident, and Unknown.
Rodriguez listed the manner of death as “unknown” because it is not known what circumstances caused Aguilar-Cendajas to go into the river.
“I could rule certain things out,” said Rodriguez. “There wasn’t signs of obvious violence on him, but that doesn’t rule out foul play.”
Rodriguez said there can be foul play but with no sign of violence.
“When we perform an autopsy the pathologist assists me with coming up with manner and cause,” Rodriguez said.
Because the body had been in river for three months, it was impossible to determine cause, Rodriguez explained.
“But we can rule out gross signs of violence such as broken or crushed bones, gun shot, or stabbing,” said Rodriguez, “but we don’t know what caused him to go into the river.”