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Jury indicts sex offender ID'd as person of interest in The Dalles human remains case

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The sex offender who was recently arrested in connection with the discovery of human remains in a storage unit in The Dalles has been indicted.

A Wasco County grand jury indicted Richard Robinson on the felony charge of second-degree abuse of a corpse on Wednesday. According to court documents, the 59-year-old man “unlawfully and intentionally” abused or moved the body of Meihong He on June 6.

“The state further alleges the degree of harm or loss attributed to the current crime of conviction was significantly greater than typical for such an offense,” Wasco County District Attorney Kara Davis wrote. “The state further alleges the defendant committed this crime to evade criminal sanctions.”

The Columbia Gorge Major Crimes Team recovered He’s remains on 2640 W Sixth St. in late July, after a person called authorities to report that the abandoned U-Haul locker he won in an auction appeared to contain human remains.

Meihong He (The Dalles Police)

The Dalles Police Department publicly identified the remains as He, also known as Kiki, on Monday. The 39-year-old woman hailed from China and was known to reside in the Mid-Columbia area and Montana.

Police also identified Robinson as a person of interest. He was arrested in Colorado due to an outstanding warrant for failing to register as a sex offender.

According to authorities, Robinson’s arrest marked a major development in the year-long search for He. She was last seen in Glenwood, Wash., on May 25, 2024, while visiting her fiancé, who later dropped her off to go fishing with friends near Underwood.

The Dalles Police Chief Tom Worthy revealed that Robinson had a “known relationship” with He. As of Tuesday, the person of interest was being held in Colorado’s Larimer County Jail pending extradition to Oregon.

“Our community wants answers,” Worthy told KOIN 6. “They deserve answers, and they’re counting on us to get them.”

Jashayla Pettigrew

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