The nearly year-long search for two missing Beaverton men ended Tuesday when police confirmed their vehicle was found crashed at the bottom of a steep hillside in the Tillamook State Forest, with skeletal remains inside.

Eddie Hair, 67, and Scott Smith, 68, disappeared in mid-September 2025 after setting out on a planned outdoor trip that may have involved searching for rare rocks on the Oregon Coast. They never came home.

On Aug. 14, loggers working near Jones Creek along Highway 6 spotted a wrecked vehicle at the base of the hillside, according to KGW. The red 2005 Jeep Wrangler appeared to have veered off the roadway above and careened down the slope, the Tillamook County Sheriff's Office said.

The Beaverton Police Department confirmed Tuesday, Aug. 18, that the Jeep matched the vehicle linked to Hair and Smith's missing persons case. The Jeep carried Oregon plate 494 QKW.

The Tillamook County Sheriff's Office said the vehicle had "sustained significant damage" and left debris scattered throughout the surrounding area before coming to rest against trees. Skeletal remains believed to be the two men were found inside.

Official identification has not been completed. The sheriff's office said no additional information would be released until the Oregon State Medical Examiner finishes the identification process and families are notified.

Hair and Smith were last seen Sept. 13, 2025. The two friends were believed to be preparing for a trip involving camping, hiking or rock hunting, KOIN reported at the time. The last cell phone activity on either man's device was Sept. 23, 2025. No bank activity or flight records surfaced after that date.

When the case was about six weeks old, Beaverton Police Department spokesperson Matt Henderson told KOIN in October 2025 that investigators were alarmed: "We have two community members missing. We are very concerned something has happened to Scott and Eddie, just simply because of the nature of this type of case."

Hair's former partner, Katrina Pickle, said at the time that both men had left without their medication, camping gear or cold-weather clothes. Beaverton police said in October 2025 there was no indication of foul play, but called the men's extended absence "unusual and concerning."

What happens next

The Tillamook County Sheriff's Office said the condition and location of the vehicle are consistent with a motor vehicle crash. The agency is investigating the circumstances alongside the Beaverton Police Department and the Oregon State Medical Examiner's office.

The sheriff's office thanked the loggers who reported the vehicle and helped bring the discovery to law enforcement's attention.

No timeline has been announced for when official identification results will be released.

Anyone with information about the case can contact the Beaverton Police Department at 503-526-2280.