Jerry R. Koch Obituary, MOSES LAKE, Wash. — Jerry R. Koch, 79, of Moses Lake, Washington, was found dead Tuesday at a residence on Travis Drive, with authorities investigating his death as a suspected domestic violence homicide involving his son.
Grant County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded around 12:39 p.m. September 1, 2026, to a home in the 8900 block of Travis Drive, Unit B, after Jerry Koch’s daughter reported her father’s death. She also identified her brother, 52-year-old Joel R. Koch, as a possible suspect in the incident.
According to investigators, Joel Koch later returned to the residence, where deputies detained him without incident. Detectives said they recovered evidence consistent with a violent assault and obtained nearby home-security footage documenting Koch’s movements before the incident.
Authorities also reported that a mental health pickup order for Joel Koch had been scheduled for the same day following a reported recent decline in his mental health condition. The circumstances surrounding the order and the events leading to Jerry Koch’s death remain part of the ongoing investigation.
Joel R. Koch was booked into the Grant County Jail on a charge of second-degree murder – domestic violence under RCW 9A.32.050. The charge remains an allegation, and Koch is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
The Grant County Coroner’s Office is expected to conduct an autopsy to determine the official cause and manner of Jerry Koch’s death. Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances of the death pending the completion of the examination and investigation.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities said no additional suspects are being sought. As investigators continue working to establish the full circumstances surrounding Jerry Koch’s death, his passing remains a matter of grief for those who knew him and those affected by the incident.