As Eric Tamiyasu's body was being removed from his house, Sheriff Joe Wampler asked Don Dixon to burn the bedding in order to spare the family the grief and discomfort. The next morning Don Dixon set fire to the soiled bedding that had been removed from Eric's room. The following day, the autopsy revealed that three bullets were lodged in Eric's head. Dealing with a homicide, several theories began to emerge. Because of Sheriff Joe Wampler's decision to burn the bed, potentially valuable clues had been destroyed. But according to the Sheriff, based on the lack of evidence that Eric's death would turn into a criminal case he had decided to burn the bed so the family would not have to go through the trauma of viewing the horrid items that were left behind. But was that the real reason he destroyed potential evidence?

A possible answer may have come up in a conversation Don Dixon said he had with Eric. According to Don, Eric told him about a new romantic relationship. Don thought that the woman Eric referred to might be the Sheriff's wife. But the sheriff has steadfastly denied that he had anything to do with Eric's murder.

Eric Smith, a lifelong friend, had also been a business partner of Eric Tamiyasu. Don Dixon maintains that he overheard a heated argument between the victim and Eric Smith just days before the murder. Don said that the victim believed that Eric Smith was pocketing money that the victim needed because his orchard business was on a downslide. According to Don Dixon, after Tamiyasu confronted Smith about the money, Eric Tamiyasu was clearly upset. However, according to Eric Smith, the two did not have an argument nor did he owe Eric any money. Eric Smith maintains that Don Dixon lives in a fantasy world.

The third potential suspect is the man who discovered the body, Don Dixon. It was Don Dixon who notified Eric's sister, Ramona Tamiyasu, of her brother's death just minutes after he discovered the body. According to Eric's sister, Don said it didn't look like there was any foul play, and it also appeared that there weren't any exit wounds. She asked what he meant by exit wounds and why would there be gunshot wounds? According to Don Dixon, he looked closely at the body to see if Eric had shot himself. Don maintains that Eric had been depressed and that he looked at the body closely because he believed that Eric could have committed suicide.

Investigators theorize that the killer knew not only the remote location of the Tamiyasu home but also its layout. The murder weapon, believed to be a small caliber handgun, was not found. For now, many unanswered questions still remain.

If you have any information about the death of Eric Tamiyasu, please contact the Hood River County, Oregon Sheriff's Department or call the Unsolved Mysteries hotline, 1-800-876-5353.