THE BODY OF A MISSING Battle Ground woman was found along SR 503 just south of Main St. in Battle Ground on May 11. The body was identified as that of 22-year-old Tatyana Tupikova, who had been missing for two days. Photo by Mike Schultz.
The Battle Ground Police Department is seeking the public’s help in determining the circumstances surrounding the death of a 22-year-old Battle Ground woman whose body was found May 11 along the east side of SR 503 between Eaton Boulevard and Main Street in Battle Ground, just north of the Battle Ground Cinemas.
The deceased was positively identified a day later as Tatyana Tupikova, who had been missing for two days. An autopsy performed at the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office on the morning of May 12 determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma.
The investigation by the Battle Ground Police Department reveals that the victim was an apparent pedestrian who was possibly struck by a vehicle. At this time, the police are investigating the incident as a hit and run.
Battle Ground resident Brian Drake was walking on the sidewalk on the east side of Highway 503 at just after 3 p.m. on May 11 when he discovered the body.
“I looked to my left and I thought ‘oh my word, you’ve got to be kidding me,’ I just froze,’’ Drake said. “I was really shaken up. There was a human being face down in the gully in water. What attracted my attention was the yellow track shoes they were wearing. I could see some of the person’s back because the shirt was up.’’
After calling down to the body and receiving no response, Drake called 9-1-1 and he said a Battle Ground police officer arrived on a motorcycle just minutes later. Drake gave officers a statement at the scene and another later the same evening at his Battle Ground address.
Drake is a former award-winning photographer who once served as the official team photographer for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was once employed by the Longview Daily News and still does freelance work for The Reflector Newspaper.
Drake said the body was positioned about 20 feet away from where he passed on the sidewalk. He indicated he had walked past earlier in the day the other direction but didn’t notice the body because he was texting on his cell phone. He also said a couple walked by while he was making the 9-1-1 call and they didn’t see the body.
Drake said detectives asked him if he stepped off the sidewalk onto the grass.
“They asked me, ‘did you walk on the grass at all,’ I said, ‘no, I just froze’,’’ Drake recalled. “I’ve shot murder scenes in my newspaper career. That’s why I just froze and made the (9-1-1) phone call.’’
Just minutes before Drake discovered Tupikova’s body, an unidentified man stopped by The Reflector office to deliver a flyer reporting Tupikova’s disappearance. The flyer was also posted around the City of Battle Ground.
According to the flyer, Tupikova had been missing since about 3 p.m. on May 9 when she left her home near Albertson’s on W. Main Street in Battle Ground. The flyer indicated that she told her family she would be meeting friends for frozen yogurt at Yo Factory near the Wilco Store on E. Main Street.
The Battle Ground Police Department and Clark County Fire & Rescue crews each responded to the scene after Drake’s 9-1-1 call. The Battle Ground Police Department, as well as detectives with the Regional Major Crimes team, comprised of detectives from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Vancouver Police Department and the Washington State Patrol are conducting an investigation into the death.
Detectives are seeking witnesses to any suspicious activity on the evening of Wed., May 9 after approximately 9 p.m. in the area where Tupikova was found.
Anyone having information regarding a suspect vehicle or witnesses are asked to contact Det. Joshua Phelps at (360) 342-5254 or electronically at Joshua.Phelps@cityofbg.org. There is also a TIP line at www.cityofbg.org/tips to leave an anonymous tip.
