PF man may have been victim of homicide

Brent Barron spent 31 of the 53 years of his life in Idaho prison.

Then, less than two years after his latest release and becoming a free man, the Post Falls resident was found dead last week in a remote area of Boundary County, in the Roman Nose Lake area west of Naples.

On Friday afternoon, the Boundary County Sheriff's Office released the identity of the alleged homicide victim after family members were notified of the death earlier in the day.

BCSO is "still investigating the manner and cause of death but, at this time, is investigating it as a homicide," a BCSO press release states.

The release does not state if there are any suspects, how long the body is believed to have been in that area of the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, the day it was found last week, the exact location, how law enforcement found out about the body, if a missing person report on Barron had been filed and other details.

An earlier press release stated that the body had been deceased a "considerable time," but did not give an estimate.

After the press release was issued on Friday afternoon, a BCSO dispatcher told The Press that both Sheriff Greg Sprungl and Chief Deputy Rich Stephens weren't expected to return to the office for the rest of the day and that no information other than what was stated in the brief press release would be released.

Post Falls Police Capt. Greg McLean referred questions to the BCSO since it's the lead agency on the case as the crime apparently occurred in Boundary County.

Barron's family members could not be reached for comment on Friday afternoon.

Barron served three separate prison sentences spanning 31 years from 1980 to 2012. His charges during that timespan included four counts of burglary, two counts of grand larceny, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and robbery. The crimes occurred in Fremont, Ada and Canyon counties in southern Idaho.

Barron escaped from the Juab County Jail in Utah through the jail's pipe chase system in November 1992, according to news reports. Barron, who was living in Hayden at that time, was then arrested in Caldwell a month later.

Barron lived in Rathdrum and Post Falls after he was released from prison three years ago, according to law enforcement reports.

One report in which Barron was arrested at a home he was staying at near Rathdrum in December 2013 — a little over a year after his latest release from prison — indicated he was having a tough time transitioning into society and that he was having anger issues. In that incident, Barron was arrested for battery during a scuffle with his brother. The charge was then amended at his first appearance to misdemeanor disturbing the peace and he was put on probation for a year.

The BCSO has received assistance from Post Falls Police, Idaho State Police and the U.S. Forest Service in the case.