Famed Spokane historian Tony Bamonte passed away on the morning of July 11. He was 77 years old.
Bamonte's wife confirmed the news to KREM.
Bamonte wrote more than 10 books about the history of the Inland Northwest, including the Davenport Hotel and Manito Park.
Bamonte was also the subject of a bestselling book by writer Timothy Egan, about Bamonte's time as sheriff of Pend Oreille County. In 1989, Bamonte solved the oldest open murder investigation in the country, which originally occurred in 1935. He pulled the murder weapon from the Spokane River near Post Street.
The murder investigation was also featured on the show Unsolved Mysteries.
Bamonte has been featured in several KREM reports over the years. Most recently, he talked about the Hahn Mansion on Halloween 2018.
Bamonte's cause of death has not been released. This story will be updated with information about memorial services once that is available.
