Authorities investigating La Pine man’s claim he killed woman at The Dalles motel, days after release from Bend jail

Zachary Krohnke accused of attempted murder, kidnap, rape at Bend motel

BEND, Ore (KTVZ) -- A La Pine man is back in the Deschutes County jail -- this time ordered held without bail, and a possible suspect in the killing of a 33-year-old woman at a motel in The Dalles that he reportedly confessed to earlier this month, days after his release from the Bend jail.

Super 8 staff found Samantha Bergren's body late on the morning of Sept. 3.

NewsChannel 21 acquired surveillance footage showing Zachary Jean Krohnke, 32, confessing to social workers at the Deschutes County Stabilization Center that he had killed the woman in The Dalles.

SWAT team members arrived a short time later, as Krohnke was reportedly armed with a knife and bleeding from his neck.

The investigation of the killing is now in the hands of The Dalles Police and the Wasco County District Attorney's office. Bend PD and the Deschutes County District Attorney are assisting in that investigation.

The reported confession came just six days after Krohnke was released on $20,000 bail in Bend following a separate arrest, initially charged with menacing and unlawful use of a weapon.

He's now charged with attempted murder, kidnap and rape in an August 28 assault on a woman at the Royal Gateway Motel in Bend. But the Wasco County case has not yet led to charges against Krohnke.

"We still have an investigation going into the cause of death. But at this point, we don't -- we're still working on having enough to charge Mr. Krohnke -- if we can charge him." Wasco County District Attorney Matthew Ellis shared Friday.

We have more in Isabella Warren's special report.