The Poulsbo man suspected of shooting and killing a Port Hadlock man at Sandy Shore Lake last week had been camping near the lake at the time of the deadly confrontation, a detective with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.

The investigation into the death of David Mark Andrew Moore, 38, is continuing, said Detective Sergeant Brett Anglin.

The autopsy for Moore has been finished, Anglin said, and the cause of death was homicidal violence.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, authorities believe Moore was fatally shot during a confrontation between Moore and Jason B. Thesenvitz that happened sometime around 3:40 a.m. Wednesday, July 27.

Sheriff Joe Nole said Thesenvitz had called police and said he had shot another man during a dispute. Thesenvitz then waited for deputies at the scene of the shooting. 

Moore was found dead at the scene.

Thesenvitz was immediately taken into custody, but was released after questioning.

Nole said last week it appeared that Thesenvitz was acting in self-defense.

Moore has been a Port Hadlock resident since 2016. Thesenvitz is believed to have lived on Bainbridge Island before moving to Poulsbo.

The shooting occurred in a remote area near Sandy Shore Lake on land owned by timber company Rayonier. 

Authorities said it was not a legal campground, but Thesenvitz had been camping on the property.

“He was there to camp,” Anglin said.

“I believe at this point the victim was there to confront the shooter. The circumstances surrounding that is still under investigation,” he added.

Members of the Washington State Patrol crime lab assisted at the site of the shooting and the State Patrol has finished its part of the investigation.

“We’re still waiting on their report,” Anglin added.

Investigators are pursuing other facts that may be important to the case, and officials cautioned that effort may take weeks or months.

“Although we have theories on the case we want to reserve any judgment until the conclusion of the case,” Anglin said.

“What’s going to take some time now is searching the cellphones to determine what the backstory is,” he said. “We want to make sure we get all that information before we forward it to the prosecutor.”

Even so, authorities did not note any twists in the investigation earlier this week.

“There hasn’t been anything that’s really changed from our initial, preliminary view of the case,” Anglin said.

“We just want to be thorough in our investigation,” he added. “These are serious matters when a life is taken. And thoroughness takes time.”