‘Usually somebody blabs’: Tony White’s 2005 death still unsolved

ASTORIA, Ore. (KOIN) — Drive 11 miles east of Astoria along Old Highway 30 and a small memorial remembering the life of Tony White Jr. still stands next to the road.

More than 20 years later, the details surrounding his hit-and-run death in the community of Svenson remain a big mystery.

“That’s not a stretch of road that someone unfamiliar with the area would be taking,” said Clatsop County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jason Hoover. “There just was not a lot to go on, not a lot of physical evidence. Initially, it was worked pretty hard by detectives.”

Early one April morning in 2005, Clatsop County investigators say, Tony — who was newly engaged and about to deploy to Afghanistan as a member of the Oregon National Guard — was walking home from a party when he was struck from behind by a vehicle.

Evidence photos shared with KOIN 6 News show his tennis shoes still in the road, the brutal collision killing the 21-year-old at the scene.

It’s a case that still hits longtime observers hard.

“Most people can’t keep their mouth shut. Usually, somebody blabs about something,” said Josh Marquis, the former Clatsop County District Attorney.

Marquis reviewed the old case files. Details of the days and weeks after Tony’s death came flooding back to him.

“It ranged from everything where it could be a complete stranger and an accident,” Marquis said, “or at the other extreme it could’ve been someone targeting Tony intending to do him harm.”

Clatsop County Cold Cases: Tony White Jr.

Tips poured in, including anonymous phone calls and letters, but nothing led to an arrest.

Deputies even went door-to-door for weeks, trying to find something concrete, perhaps a passenger car or small pickup truck with front-end damage, but nothing firm developed

That’s not to say investigators didn’t have their eyes on a few locals.

“People have come forward and said, ‘I think they did it,'” Marquis told KOIN 6 News. “But all those people who were suspects have either refused to talk, or said they weren’t involved, or a good 50% of the people of interest are now dead.”

In cold cases, deaths, fading memories and a loss of physical evidence can make solving a case all the more difficult.

Sgt. Hoover said despite that, they’re committed to finding a resolution.

“He’s a young man in the Oregon National Guard about to deploy to Afghanistan and loses his life like that while walking home. Whether it’s a tragic accident or not, I just feel a strong connection to Tony and his family,” Hoover said.

Hoover and Marquis encourage anyone that might have solid, reliable information on what happened to reach out to the sheriff’s office and Det. Humphrey at 503.338.3633.