Video: Body found on Blanchard Mountain

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BELLINGHAM, Wash. - A body found in Skagit County may be that of a Ferndale teacher who had been missing since Thursday.

On Sunday, hikers found the body of a man near the lookout spot on Blanchard Mountain. Police say the man was shot in the head.

While investigators have not confirmed if the body is that of 38-year old Jeremy Scully, friend Pete Redpath knows in heart this story will not have a happy ending.

"You really couldn't ask for a kinder person than Jeremy... he was a swell guy," said Redpath.

Redpath has known "Scully" as everyone called him, since he moved to Bellingham 10 years ago.

Redpath says Scully loved his job and loved coaching track at Ferndale High, and fears his good nature got him in trouble.

"Somebody took advantage of a kind soul," said Redpath.

That's what Scully's girlfriend, Robbin Goldsby, said.

"He's the kind of guy who would take a spider from inside the house, outside rather than kill it. That's the kind of guy he is," she said.

Family photo

Jeremy Scully

Scully hasn't been heard from since 8:30 Thursday morning, when he told some friends he'd come over to help fix their roof.

He never arrived, and he didn't show up later that day at Ferndale High School, where he's an assistant track coach who trains students in pole vault.

"That's the first thing that he always talked about when he talked to me was how his kids were doing and how high they jumped … and personal bests. He was just so proud of them," said Goldsby.

Ferndale High's Athletic Director, Vic Randall, is the person who called police on Friday.

"Jeremy's very dependable. He had planned to be at practice on Thursday. He had planned to be at practice Friday and pick up some keys for a track meet on Saturday, so it's very unlike him not to show up," said Randall.

On Saturday, searchers found Scully's gray Nissan parked along East Lake Samish Drive, which parallels I-5. The passenger door was open and the keys were still in the ignition.

Police say they've found no signs of struggle, either in the car, or at Scully's apartment, but they have sealed it off as a potential crime scene nonetheless.