The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed the identity of the 29-year-old man who stepped in front of an oncoming train as William Escudero, Sr.

Initially, police had withheld the identity of the man pending notification of next of kin.

According to the Sheriff’s Department’s press release on the death, at 11:52 p.m. Saturday, the department was notified by a Burlington Northern-Santa Fe agent that a westbound train struck a pedestrian just outside of Libby in the area of the East 5th Street Extension.

The press release, which is includes Sheriff Roby Bowe’s typed signature, states his deputies arrived on the scene to find the freight train stopped at the scene and the body of a 29-year-old male was discovered.

“Evidence indicates that the male intentionally stepped in front of the train,” the Sheriff’s press release states.

At 5:14 p.m., when The Western News received the press release, the name of the decedant was withheld.

On Monday, The Western News learned the identity of the man to be Escudero of Libby.

Escudero’s death comes a week after his father, Andy, survived the fatal bus accident outside Missoula last Sunday, Jan. 8.

Two people died in that accident attributed to black ice. Andy Escudero, 59, suffered broken ribs as his story of being thrown about the bus appeared in The Western News.

Sheriff Bowe was asked Monday why investigators believe Escudero intentionally stepped in front of the train.

Citing concerns for the family, Bowe declined to elaborate.

“I’m not going to release that information,” Bowe said acknowledging the investigation indicates the father of three stepped in front of the oncoming train.

Escudero’s death comes as the Libby area has been experiencing a string of unnatural deaths.

On Dec. 8, Kristina Lynn Welch called to report the death of her husband Charles Brian Welch, who had been shot. She currently is charged with deliberate homicide in the case. Last week, Welch pleaded not guilty in the case.

Less than a month later, on Jan. 3, police ended an eight-hour standoff when they entered the home of Dale and Catherine Kinniburgh at 1217 Main Ave. to find the couple deceased.

Dale Kinniburgh, 51, called at 6:28 a.m. to say he shot Catherine, 55, and that he would turn the gun on himself, which he did.

The murder-suicide rocked the neighborhood and Libby.

Then three days later, on Jan. 6, James L. Bonifas, 75, called police from his rural Troy home to report that his daughter had died during the night.

When authorities arrived they found his daughter, Suzanne Campbell, 41, had a fatal bullet wound to the head.

Bonifas also has been charged with deliberate homicide.

The string of homicides and suicides has Libby and Troy residents wondering what could be prompting the string of abnormal behavior.