PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – New clues in the cold case of a used car dealership owner on the Oregon Coast have led Newport police to arrest a man after executing a search warrant at his home last week.
Newport police told KOIN 6 News the raid was linked to the disappearance of Ryan Staggs, a former used car dealership owner who was last seen nearly three years ago. However, law enforcement has also been tight lipped about their ongoing investigation.
Court documents show that the man arrested, Jack David Baird, was seen at Stagg's home the day after he went missing. Witnesses claim that he was digging in his backyard in the days to follow.
New video shot by neighbors shows the moment police and SWAT teams with dogs raided the home near NW Seventh Street on Friday.
“It's kind of crazy, because you know you just don't expect to be in your neighborhood or on your street,” Johan Martinez said.
Police confirmed they executed a search warrant around 7 a.m. Hours later, Baird was arrested. But Johan and David Martinez said they saw officials digging in the backyard.
“That's when we figured out, they digging something because they have a public works truck with a flatbed trailer, you know we figure out they're trying to dig something there,” David said.
Baird now stands accused of second-degree abuse of a corpse, according to court records.
A probable cause affidavit links Baird’s arrest to Staggs’ disappearance, adding that neighbors heard him screaming at his home the day he disappeared Jan. 29, 2022.
The next day, records show Baird rented a track hoe that neighbors heard running in the back of his home. One reported seeing a "muddy area that appeared to be dug up" in the middle of Baird's backyard.
However, Baird was one of two men named in the disappearance, according to the document. The other man has yet to face criminal charges, though the document shows both men have pointed the finger at one another.
Law enforcement has yet to confirm whether they are planning to arrest any other suspects.
Meanwhile, Baird is being held on $500 bail. He is expected to appear in court on Jan. 7, 2025.
