Wash. man who faked his death in 2009 after being charged with child rape dies in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (TCD) -- A man who was believed to have jumped off a bridge in 2009 after being charged with child rape died in Los Angeles last month while living under a different name.

According to the Bremerton Police Department, Christian Basham was arrested in 2008 on a charge of child rape. He posted $350,000 bail and was later released from jail. Months later, on March 29, 2009, a witness called police and said they saw Basham jump from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Police said they located a suicide note and his car but could not find Basham's body despite searching via plane and boat.

KABC-TV reports police presumed Basham was dead but still kept him on a wanted list and an arrest warrant active.

Bremerton Police said Basham died in Los Angeles on Feb. 26 and was living under the pseudonym Mark Clemens. The Los Angeles County Coroner reached out to police after learning Clemens was actually Basham. His cause of death on the medical examiner's website was only listed as "deferred."

According to KABC, Basham worked as a maintenance man for an apartment building.

One of his neighbors, Tommy Cuellar, told KABC the revelation was "very shocking," adding, "This was our maintenance guy. This was the guy who had keys to our apartments. It was troubling to say the least, as you could imagine."

Cuellar said, "He was just like a normal person, a little rough sometimes but it was his personality. No other clue that he was this person he was accused of being."

Basham was 56 years old.

MORE:

• 2009 rape suspect, believed to be dead since 2009, found deceased in California - Bremerton Police Department
• Child-rape suspect lived quietly in SoCal under assumed name years after faking own death - KABC
• Case Details - Los Angeles County Medical Examiner