When a local woman pulled up to her father’s home on Travis Drive, she expected a routine check on his health. Instead, she met her brother walking down the driveway holding his dog by a leash. He looked at her, told her that their father was dead, and kept walking. She went inside the house and found 79-year-old Jerry R. Koch dead on the floor.
The daughter called emergency dispatchers shortly after mid-day on Tuesday. Grant County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the rural duplex near Moses Lake within minutes. They entered the residence and confirmed that the elder Koch had suffered severe, fatal wounds to his face and torso.
Deputies immediately taped off the property to preserve the scene. While officers gathered initial details outside the house, 52-year-old Joel R. Koch walked back onto the lot. Officers detained him on the spot without incident.
Investigators noticed blood splatters on Joel Koch’s clothes and shoes when they took him into custody. They transported him to the county jail while detectives secured search warrants for the duplex and his personal belongings.
Security footage from a neighbor’s house captured key moments leading up to the discovery. Video recorded late Monday night showed Joel Koch walking through a neighboring yard around 11:25 p.m. Moments later, Jerry Koch was heard on the recording shouting for his son to come back inside. No other people were seen arriving or leaving the home through the night.
Jerry Koch had lived at the Travis Drive property for years. Family members told deputies they had grown increasingly concerned about conditions inside the home in recent weeks. Neighbors recalled seeing the older man around his yard regularly.
Joel Koch was booked into the Grant County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder involving domestic violence. The Grant County Coroner’s Office scheduled an autopsy to determine the official cause of death as prosecutors prepare formal court charges.
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