Union County, OR. — Union County officials have confirmed that two men found dead in a La Grande wheat field last week each died by suicide, concluding that the cases were unrelated despite the proximity of the scenes.
According to the Union County Law Enforcement Investigation Team, La Grande Police Department personnel discovered the bodies of Drake Hill and Dale Burke on November 21, 2025, at 12:36 p.m. The individuals were located at separate locations within the same agricultural area near East Q Avenue, prompting an immediate multi-agency response.
Between November 21 and 22, more than 20 investigators and specialists from the Oregon State Police, OSP Forensics Division, La Grande Police, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, and the Union County District Attorney’s Office processed the scenes. Forensic specialists documented each site independently, recovering a handgun at both locations along with other relevant evidence.
Autopsies performed on November 24 by the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office in Clackamas formally ruled the cause of death for both men as suicide.
Investigators emphasized that Hill and Burke had no known connection to one another. Although discovered in the same general area, officials determined the deaths occurred at different times and were coincidental rather than related.
Authorities expressed condolences to both families, noting the team’s “tireless collaboration” to bring the investigation to a clear and conclusive close.
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