Tuesday, April 23, 2024
28.0°F

Child's body identified as missing son of dead couple

by Scott Shindledecker Daily Inter Lake
| August 1, 2019 6:47 PM

The body of a 2-year-old child who was found at a campground in the West Fisher Creek area in Lincoln County last week has been identified as the son of an Oregon couple who died in a murder-suicide last week near Kalispell.

According to Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short, Aiden Salcido was positively identified as the child. He died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Montana State Crime Lab.

Detectives from the Lincoln County and Flathead County sheriff’s offices, along with detectives from Medford Oregon, searched the area along with canine teams from David Thompson Search and Rescue.

Late Friday evening, July 26, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office received reports from several concerned citizens that a vehicle matching the description of the one involved in the apparent murder-suicide in Kalispell on July 24 had been seen camping in the West Fisher Creek area. Deputies responded to the area and conducted a search of the abandoned camp site.

The search for Salcido began shortly after law enforcement officials discovered the bodies of Daniel Salcido and Hannah Janiak, both of Medford, Oregon. They were traveling in a green 1996 GMC Jimmy in Kalispell when a Kalispell City Police officer attempted to make a traffic stop the evening of Wednesday, July 24 after witnessing a moving violation. The officer called for backup and the vehicle fled. Officers from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office also responded and used spike strips to flatten the front tires.

The vehicle eventually pulled to the side of U.S. 93 near Bowdish Road. When officers received no response, they found Daniel Salcido and Janiak dead inside.

Medford Police believed Janiak was shot in the head and Salcido died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

During the investigation, authorities learned the couple had a child, Aiden Castiel Salcido, but he was not in the GMC Jimmy when police stopped the vehicle.

That launched a search for the child that included the FBI.

According to Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino, the unmarried couple was reported missing June 11 after Janiak failed to appear to begin serving a jail sentence.

for a burglary conviction in Jackson County, Oregon. Felony warrants for Salcido had been issued July 15 stemming from the same burglary, police said.

Medford police say family told them the three were homeless and camped in Medford.

Short said the investigation continues.