The Imperial County Sheriff's Office is continuing to treat the death of a tribal singer whose body was found in November next to railroad tracks near Yuma as "suspicious," Sheriff Raymond Loera said.

  The sheriff said his agency routinely labels deaths it investigates as suspicious until it ascertains the cause of death.

  "There is no status in the change of the case," Loera said Wednesday. "Until we get all the information we need, it will remain that way."

  The body of Lewis Jefferson, 21, was found Nov. 26 next to the railroad tracks by the old agriculture inspection station near the Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge.

  A railroad employee discovered the body of Jefferson, who appeared to have been struck by a train, and called authorities at about 4:30 a.m.

  At the time, Jefferson was running for a seat on the Quechan Tribal Council, and the election was held just days after his death.

  Loera explained while the death was initially considered "suspicious," the investigation is drawing to a close and the death has not been ruled a homicide.

  While the autopsy and toxicology reports have been completed, ICSO declined to comment further on the results. However, preliminary information released by the coroner indicated Jefferson was struck by a train.

  "There are a few people we would still like to speak with, but apparently they are being difficult to locate," Loera said. "We have been told they may have some relevant information."

  Jefferson was known in the Quechan Tribe for his traditional singing, as well as for taking part in long walks supporting various issues. He walked 120 miles from here to Gila Bend in support of the Peace and Dignity Project.

  More recently, Jefferson made local headlines for walking nearly 2,000 miles from Flagstaff to Washington, D.C., with The Longest Walk 2.

  Jefferson worked as a monitor for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and lived on the reservation. He grew up on the Quechan Reservation and in other parts of California and graduated from high school in El Centro.

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James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.