The man accused of sparking a forest fire and then ambushing firefighters in a calculated sniper-style attack in Idaho has been identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley, TMZ can confirm.
A law enforcement source tells TMZ Roley’s body was not taken to the Kootenai County Coroner’s Office in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, because they don’t actually hold bodies. Instead, his remains were transferred to the Spokane, Washington Medical Examiner’s Office, which handles cases from Kootenai County just across the state border.
Since his ID, a haunting photo has surfaced — showing Roley staring straight into the camera with a chilling, almost sinister glare.
After allegedly luring the firefighters to the blaze on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene, Roley engaged in a wild gun battle with police during a massive manhunt involving nearly 300 officers. Roley’s body was later found when they tracked down his cell signal in the woods.
Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris confirmed the shootout ended with Roley’s death — though it’s still unclear whether he was taken out by police gunfire or died by suicide. No autopsy results are available just yet.
His motive also remains a mystery.
A third firefighter was also shot in the initial incident and remains in critical condition.
