Clarkston, Washington — The small town by the Snake River woke to heartbreaking news on Wednesday morning. Kacey M. Storm, 42, was found dead along the Greenbelt Trail just south of the Interstate Bridge around 7:05 a.m. by first responders who had been called to check on an unconscious person. Storm was pronounced dead at the scene before the sun had fully risen.
Police and investigators say early evidence points to a suspected drug overdose as the cause of death. Clarkston detective Darin Boyd shared that items at the scene led them to that conclusion, though a full toxicology report ordered by Asotin County Coroner Lisa Webber will be needed to confirm exactly what happened. Those lab results could take days to weeks.
Storm’s passing has sent a wave of sorrow through his family and those in the tight-knit community who knew him. Loved ones have already been notified, and many are struggling to express their grief in the face of such a sudden loss. Friends describe Storm as someone who mattered deeply to people around him — a presence simply woven into their everyday lives.
Neighbors and people who often saw him along the river or on the Greenbelt Trail say the everyday moments now feel charged with memory: shared greetings on morning walks, easy conversations about nothing and everything, glimpses of laughter on summer evenings. Those ordinary scenes now feel fragile in the wake of his death.
There’s a gentle but palpable reminder in this tragedy of how unpredictable life can be, and how quickly things can change. People are taking time to check on one another, to call a friend, to sit a little longer with a neighbor. Conversations about health and support — especially around substance use — are picking up in coffee shops, at church gatherings, and along the very trail where Storm’s life came to an end.
Some in the community are urging greater awareness of addiction and the hidden struggles many face, hoping that open talk might prevent another loss. The Greenbelt Trail, usually a place of quiet reflection and morning jogs, now carries a deeper emotional weight for many who pass it each day.
For now, Clarkston mourns. People remember Storm not just for how his life ended, but for the parts of his story that mattered: how he showed up, how he smiled, how he was known. In a place where everyone seems to know everyone else, his absence is a quiet ache — a reminder that every life leaves a mark.
