On September 25, 2025, at approximately 12:30 P.M., the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of suspicious circumstances call in the area of Pelton Dam, located approximately five miles northwest of Madras, Oregon, near the Deschutes River and Lake Simtustus, in Jefferson County.
Upon arrival, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies located an adult deceased male, later identified as 43-year-old James W. Herrera of Redmond. Due to the nature of the discovery, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office activated the Major Incident Team (MIT). The MIT is a collaborative investigative team composed of law enforcement agencies and District Attorney’s Offices from Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties.
The investigation and evidence gathered in the initial response determined that this homicide occurred in Deschutes County. The Redmond Police Department has been assigned as the lead agency in this ongoing investigation.
No further details are being released at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Redmond Police Department at 541-693-6911 or the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 541-475-6520.
The Redmond Police Department would like to thank MIT, the FBI, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Madras Police Department, Warm Springs Police Department, the Bend Police Department, the Oregon State Police, and the District Attorney’s Office, for their assistance in this investigation.