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| Mitchell, Karen, Nov. 25, 1997; Humbolt Co., CA | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 18 2006, 08:55 PM (833 Views) | |
| Ell | May 18 2006, 08:55 PM Post #1 |
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Heart of Gold
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http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/mitchell_karen.html![]() GUARDIANS FEARFUL FOR MISSING TEEN Published on December 4, 1997 © 1997- The Press Democrat BYLINE: Andrew LaMar Press Democrat Bureau For Bill Casper, the disappearance last week of his 17-yearold niece Karen Mitchell is especially chilling. Casper is the legal guardian for Mitchell, who has lived with him and his wife for 3-1/2 years. He also is the chief criminologist for the state Department of Justice crime lab in Eureka, where he analyzes blood, body fluid and other evidence often found at North Coast crime scenes. ``The disadvantages are in my line of work we usually see the bad outcomes in these cases, and we don't see the good outcomes because they don't get to our point,'' Casper said Wednesday. ``I mean, we tend to see the worst of the worst, as far as the outcomes.'' Investigators have little to go on, according to Arnie Millsap, Eureka's police chief. ``Anything's possible,'' Millsap said. ``We don't have any concrete evidence she has run away or she's been abducted or she's joined some group or whatever. There's no indication of actual violence with this lady. We can only assume things at this point.'' Mitchell was last seen at 3 p.m. Nov. 25 walking down Broadway, across the street from the Bayshore Mall. She had left Annie's Shoes in the mall, run by Casper's wife, and was on her way to a job with the Humboldt Child Care Council, about one mile away, Casper said. ``I believe she's been abducted,'' Casper said. ``With her activities, focus and goals over the last six months and longer, her missing right now is totally out of character.'' Mitchell had spent her day filling out applications for college. When Casper's wife called to say Mitchell never showed up for work, Casper put his experience to work. ``My first initial instinct was `Something is wrong,''' he said. Within an hour, he filed a missing persons report. Casper has since set up a Web site, http://www.karenm.com, with a picture of and information about Mitchell. He started the Karen Mitchell Information Center, a phone message desk staffed by volunteers, to take tips. The number is 269-2228. A Saturday search of nearby wooded areas, conducted by police and volunteers, netted no clues. Mitchell is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 130 pounds and has blue-green eyes and sandy blond, neck-length, straight hair. She was last seen wearing a tan, longsleeved shirt, baggy dark brown corduroy pants and tan leather shoes with buckles, and she was carrying a Nalgene brand water bottle. Anyone with information may call police at 441-4095. |
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Ell Only after the last tree has been cut down; Only after the last fish has been caught; Only after the last river has been poisoned; Only then will you realize that money cannot be eaten. | |
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| Ell | May 18 2006, 09:14 PM Post #2 |
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Heart of Gold
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CONFESSED KILLER SUSPECT IN MISSING TEEN CASE Published on May 9, 1999 © 1999- The Press Democrat BYLINE: Andrew LaMar Staff Writer PAGE: B1 The Eureka detective leading the search for missing teen-ager Karen Mitchell says he is investigating whether confessed serial killer Wayne Adam Ford had anything to do with the girl's disappearance. ``We're certainly looking at him but that's just one of several areas,'' Eureka police Detective David Parris said. Nonetheless, Parris said he is waiting anxiously for forensic experts to finish analyzing all the material submitted to them in the Ford case. Ford, a trucker who preyed on prostitutes and hitchhikers, told investigators that he had nothing to do with Mitchell, but Parris believes a connection is possible. ``We're a small community and don't often have serial killers in our area,'' Parris said. ``We're looking at the entire Ford case, which includes statements from him and others. I'm confident with where we're going. It's a direction we haven't had for a long time with Karen's case.'' Mitchell, a high school junior, was last seen on the afternoon of Nov. 25, 1997 walking to work at a day care center. Eureka residents helped with a search that included photos posted on the Internet and throughout Northern California, much as they did this year when Carole Sund, her daughter Juli and their friend Silvina Pelosso disappeared on a trip to Yosemite National Park. But the effort produced little more than vague tips. A tipster told police that he had to slam on his breaks to avoid hitting a car that was picking up a girl who resembled Mitchell. The car was described as a light blue Ford Granada or Mercury Monarch from the mid-1970s. Parris searched through a list of 1,200 vehicle registrations, contacting owners of similar cars throughout Northern California but failed to get a solid lead. When Ford walked into the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department in November and said he killed four women, Parris said he also became a suspect in the Mitchell case, even though she didn't meet the profile of his other victims. The 36-year-old trucker allegedly confessed to killing one woman who was found a month before Mitchell disappeared. And there were similarities, including the fact that both women were walking on Broadway in south Eureka in daylight and the dead woman -- who has yet to be identified -- was apparently abducted in daylight. That aroused the suspicions of Parris and state criminologist Bill Casper, who is Mitchell's uncle and legal guardian. ``He's being reported as being a serial killer and (the victim) ... was walking down Broadway maybe a mile further than Karen was,'' Casper said. Ford is in custody in Humboldt County Jail on $1 million bail. He was indicted last month on a single murder count and trial is set for July 21. Investigators in at least three other counties say Ford confessed to additional killings and could face more charges. Parris said he does not know when to expect the forensic results, which could determine whether Ford had a hand in Mitchell's disappearance. Parris said a gag order imposed on the Ford case prohibits him from saying precisely what evidence he is seeking. ``We all want an answer tomorrow and unfortunately it doesn't come that quick,'' he said. |
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Ell Only after the last tree has been cut down; Only after the last fish has been caught; Only after the last river has been poisoned; Only then will you realize that money cannot be eaten. | |
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| oldies4mari2004 | Jan 17 2007, 03:16 PM Post #3 |
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Unregistered
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Karen Marie Mitchell Upper Images and Lower Left: Mitchell, circa 1997; Lower Right: Age-progression at age 20 (circa 2000) Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance Missing Since: November 25, 1997 from Eureka, California Classification: Endangered Missing Date Of Birth: November 30, 1980 Age: 16 years old Height and Weight: 5'5, 130 pounds Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Sandy brown hair, blue/green eyes. Mitchell has pierced ears. Her hair was neck-length at the time of her disappearance. Clothing/Jewelry Description: A long-sleeved tan shirt, dark brown baggy-style corduroy pants and buckled tan leather shoes. Details of Disappearance Mitchell was on holiday vacation from high school on November 25, 1997 in Eureka, California. She departed from her place of employment, the Coastal Family Development Center, during the afternoon hours. Mitchell's aunt, Annie Casper, was her legal guardian and owned a store inside Bayshore Mall. The shopping center was in the 3300 block of Broadway Street, approximately one mile from Mitchell's place of employment. She briefly visited her aunt's business before departing from the mall at approximately 2:45 p.m. Mitchell was last seen walking towards West Sonoma Street shortly afterwards. She has never been heard from again. She was carrying a Nalgene water bottle at the time of her disappearance. A witness stated that Mitchell may have entered an unidentified four-door 1976 to 1978 sedan, which was possibly a Ford Grenada, a Mercury Monarch, or a Nissan. The vehicle is described as light blue in color, with California license plates and "Eureka" imprinted on the rear plate's frame. The driver of the car is described as a Caucasian male, approximately 60 to 70 years old, with balding light gray or sandy blonde hair. The unidentified man had green or gray eyes and a large-sized nose that appeared to have been previously broken. He had a small build and wore eyeglasses. The driver was wearing a long-sleeved button-down light blue shirt. Sketches of both the driver and vehicle are posted below this case summary. The driver is wanted for questioning as a possible witness in Mitchell's case. The witness claimed that the car pulled across Broadway Street and nearly hit him before stopping for a girl matching Mitchell's description. Authorities identified a vehicle similar to the car reported by the witness shortly after Mitchell vanished. The owner passed a polygraph exam and was cleared of any potential involvement in her case. Casper said that her niece planned to attend Humboldt State University in 1998. She said that Mitchell was interested in politics, education and environmental issues. Mitchell is described as an intelligent and responsible. Investigators do not believe she left the area of her own accord. Confessed murderer Wayne Adam Ford, who killed several women in California during the 1990s, denied any involvement in Mitchell's disappearance. His photo is posted below this case summary. Ford turned himself into authorities one year after Mitchell vanished. He has never been charged in connection with her case. Robert Durst apparently visited Casper's store several times in March 1998, four months after Mitchell disappeared. Robert's first wife, Kathleen Durst, disappeared from New York in 1982. Her case remains unsolved and Robert is considered the prime suspect, although he has never been charged in connection with her case. Robert was charged with the 2001 Texas homicide of Morris Black. He claimed he murdered Black in self-defense, and was acquitted in 2003. Investigators looked into the possibility that Robert was in the Eureka area at the time of Mitchell's disappearance, but he has never been charged with any involvement. Ford and Robert's photos are posted below this case summary. Investigators announced that they had received a "new, substantial" lead in Mitchell's case in 2004. Afterwards they began searching an area on Hilfiker Lane in Eureka with cadaver dogs. The site is often camped on by transients. It is the same place where the body of Matthew Anton Large, 22, was found in February 2003. Large disappeared from Huntington Beach, California in 2001; his case is not thought to be related to Mitchell's. Investigators would not give details about the new lead but stated that they believed two people were involved in Mitchell's apparent abduction. Her case remains unsolved. Left: Sketch of unidentified driver; Right: Sketch of the driver's vehicle Left: Robert Durst; Right: Ford Investigating Agency If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: Eureka Police Department 707-441-4044 Source Information The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children The Polly Klaas Foundation Child Protection Education Of America America's Most Wanted Nation's Missing Children Organization and Center For Missing Adults The Eureka Times-Standard The Las Vegas Review-Journal The Child Seek Network Charley Project Home |
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| oldies4mari2004 | Jan 17 2007, 03:17 PM Post #4 |
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Unregistered
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| oldies4mari2004 | Jan 17 2007, 03:19 PM Post #5 |
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| oldies4mari2004 | Feb 25 2007, 10:31 AM Post #6 |
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Unregistered
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| monkalup | Mar 18 2009, 08:45 AM Post #7 |
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
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http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsro...0125durst.html Jury selection tomorrow in Scarsdale man's murder trial By JONATHAN BANDLER THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: August 25, 2003) Suspicion in his wife's disappearance has hounded Robert Durst for more than two decades. It intensified when his best friend was shot to death in Los Angeles three years ago — and grew even more when he admitted killing a cantankerous neighbor in Texas and was accused of chopping up his body and setting it adrift in Galveston Bay. Now, as the 60-year-old Scarsdale native and scion of a Manhattan real estate empire goes on trial in that Galveston killing, investigators in northern California are taking a close look at Durst, suspecting he might have played a role in the disappearance of two teenage girls there in 1997 — 18-year-old Kristen Modafferi in San Francisco and 16-year-old Karen Mitchell in Eureka... ...Information linking Durst to the two California cases was first reported in publicity material for the paperback edition of "A Deadly Secret," writer Matt Berkbeck's book about the Durst saga that will be published next week. Five months before Mitchell disappeared, Modafferi vanished after leaving her waitress job at a San Francisco coffee shop, headed for Land's End Beach on San Francisco Bay in Oakland. One of the original detectives in that case, John Bradley, is now an investigator with the San Francisco District Attorney's Office and has spent the past several months investigating Durst's ties to northern California. He said information he has obtained put Durst in the area at least on the weekend before Modafferi disappeared and on the day that Mitchell went missing, although Parris said he was still looking into whether Durst was in Eureka that day. Bradley, too, sees similarities between Durst and the sketch in the Mitchell case, but is even more intrigued by the description of the car. Although Durst had a green Ford Explorer in northern California at the time, a drug user and prostitute who reported Durst befriended her told authorities she only knew him to drive a light blue car, Bradley said... |
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Lauran "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. | |
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| monkalup | Mar 18 2009, 08:46 AM Post #8 |
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
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http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsro...0125durst.html Jury selection tomorrow in Scarsdale man's murder trial By JONATHAN BANDLER THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: August 25, 2003) Suspicion in his wife's disappearance has hounded Robert Durst for more than two decades. It intensified when his best friend was shot to death in Los Angeles three years ago — and grew even more when he admitted killing a cantankerous neighbor in Texas and was accused of chopping up his body and setting it adrift in Galveston Bay. Now, as the 60-year-old Scarsdale native and scion of a Manhattan real estate empire goes on trial in that Galveston killing, investigators in northern California are taking a close look at Durst, suspecting he might have played a role in the disappearance of two teenage girls there in 1997 — 18-year-old Kristen Modafferi in San Francisco and 16-year-old Karen Mitchell in Eureka... ...Information linking Durst to the two California cases was first reported in publicity material for the paperback edition of "A Deadly Secret," writer Matt Berkbeck's book about the Durst saga that will be published next week. Five months before Mitchell disappeared, Modafferi vanished after leaving her waitress job at a San Francisco coffee shop, headed for Land's End Beach on San Francisco Bay in Oakland. One of the original detectives in that case, John Bradley, is now an investigator with the San Francisco District Attorney's Office and has spent the past several months investigating Durst's ties to northern California. He said information he has obtained put Durst in the area at least on the weekend before Modafferi disappeared and on the day that Mitchell went missing, although Parris said he was still looking into whether Durst was in Eureka that day. Bradley, too, sees similarities between Durst and the sketch in the Mitchell case, but is even more intrigued by the description of the car. Although Durst had a green Ford Explorer in northern California at the time, a drug user and prostitute who reported Durst befriended her told authorities she only knew him to drive a light blue car, Bradley said... |
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Lauran "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. | |
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| monkalup | Mar 18 2009, 08:47 AM Post #9 |
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
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Where is Karen Mitchell? Chris Durant The Times-Standard Posted: 11/25/2007 01:35:09 AM PST Click photo to enlarge«1» Dave Parris doesn't need reminding that Karen Mitchell was last seen 10 years ago today. While working as a detective with the Eureka Police Department, Parris made the Mitchell case a top priority when she was reported missing. He still does, keeping a position with the department while working as police chief of the Yurok Tribal Police Department. ”I've actually kept a reserve status down there so I can work on it,” Parris said. “We're working it on a weekly basis.” Mitchell was last seen along Broadway on Nov. 25, 1997, walking to the Coastal Family Development Center, where she cared for children. She was almost 17 -- just five days short of her birthday -- and living with her aunt and uncle, Annie and Bill Casper, in an unincorporated area of the county. Her disappearance is treated as a kidnapping-homicide case. Over the years, Eureka police have pursued several leads. There was the caller who claimed to have heard details of Karen's kidnapping and murder. And a letter to the Times-Standard from “Topaz” said police should try looking behind Taco Bell and the Bayshore Mall. Nearly four years ago, detectives announced they were pursuing new angles in the case. Police set off on the largest land search since Karen disappeared. Investigators and cadaver-sniffing dogs inspected a fenced area near the foot of Truesdale Street and other locations at the foot of Hilfiker Lane looking for clues. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advertisement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At least one house was also searched, and new interviews were conducted. At the time, investigators said there was information related to two people in custody on charges unrelated to Karen's case that prompted the search. The location and names of the possible suspects was not released. They still haven't been. And the search efforts produced no results. Now, with the 10th anniversary of Karen's disappearance, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is renewing its call for members of the public to come forward with any information about what happened to her. Even after all this time, new information still comes in. “There are a couple of things we're working on,” Parris said. The new information is checked against the 35-plus volumes containing what the investigation has gathered over the years. ”We've been back through the files numerous times,” Parris said, “always looking for anything that may have been missed.” Though new information has come in and been checked out, the family still doesn't have anything solid to hold onto. ”We still don't know a lot more than we did 10 years ago,” said Karen's uncle, Bill Casper. According to the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children, nearly 800,000 children are reported missing every year, with an average of 2,200 reported missing each day. There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to the Karen's recovery, Bill Casper said. Anyone with any information is asked to call Parris at 482-8185, or Special Agent Heather Nelsen with the California Bureau of Investigations at 445-7818. Parris said the anniversary is not a milestone he marks, as he pursues the investigation into Karen's disappearance with the same energy he did 10 years ago. ”I'm not giving up,” he said. Finding Karen: Facts of the case Karen Mitchell: She disappeared five days shy of her 17th birthday while walking along Broadway, on her way to the Coastal Family Development Center, where she cared for children. Karen was last seen at her aunt's shop at the Bayshore Mall. Karen was planning to go to Humboldt State University. She was interested in politics, especially involving the environment, and in children. Annie and Bill Casper: Karen's aunt and uncle. Annie Casper is Karen's legal guardian, and Karen was living with the couple when she disappeared. In interviews over the years, the couple described their niece as “very bright, had a funny giggle and was very determined.” “She was like an old soul,” Annie Casper said in 2001. Dave Parris: Now the police chief of the Yurok Tribal Police Department, he was the Eureka police detective assigned to the case. He keeps a reserve status with the Eureka Police Department to continue work on Karen's disappearance. “I'm not giving up,” he said. Movements in the case: Over the years, detectives have followed several leads, searching areas with cadaver dogs and at least one house. Several calls with information have come in since her disappearance. November 2003: Eureka police announced they were pursuing “a new, substantial lead” in Karen's disappearance. Parris described it at the time as “the most substantial lead we have had in six years since she disappeared.” January and February 2004: Police launched the largest land search for Karen since her disappearance. Residences in Eureka were also searched. Investigators and cadaver-sniffing dogs inspected a fenced area near the foot of Truesdale Street and other locations at the foot of Hilfiker Lane, looking for clues. The searches produced no results. November 2007: On the 10th anniversary of her disappearance, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children renewed calls for the public's help in solving Karen's case, including the release of Karen's poster and an age-enhanced photograph of what Karen might look like today. Reward: There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to Karen's recovery. Anyone with information is asked to call Dave Parris at 482-8185, or Special Agent Heather Nelsen with the California Bureau of Investigations at 445-7818. Chris Durant can be reached at 441-0506 or at cdurant@times-standard.com . http://www.times-standard.com/ci_7554193?source=most_viewed |
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Lauran "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. | |
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| monkalup | Mar 18 2009, 08:51 AM Post #10 |
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
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http://www.times-standard.com/ci_8829485 Online sleuths take on missing persons cases Ryan Burns/The Times-Standard On the Web: The Doe Web site, www.doenetwork.org. Posted: 04/06/2008 01:36:59 AM PDT Click photo to enlarge«1»When Karen Mitchell disappeared on November 25, 1997, just five days before her 17th birthday, she became one of an estimated 100,000 people formally listed as missing in the United States. There are also more than 40,000 unnamed bodies in the country -- John, Jane and Baby “Does” whose identities remain a mystery. The Doe Network, an online resource for mystery-solving volunteers, seeks to make connections between those two tragic groups by giving names to the dead and thereby providing closure for families of the missing. Missing person profiles, which include such details as dental records, photographs and police reports, are posted on the Doe Web site, www.doenetwork.org. The amateur sleuths of the network can then cross-reference this information with law enforcement agencies and medical examiner's offices, putting in the kind of time and effort that many officials can't spare. The Doe Network's Web site has had nearly 1.8 million visitors since it was established in 1999, and according to media director Todd Matthews, more than 40 bodies have been identified by or through the group in that time. ”There are no advocates for the dead, so that's what we had to become,” said Matthews, a 37-year-old Tennessee man who works for an automotive parts supplier during the day and peruses the Web at night, looking at morgue photos, artist sketches and forensic reconstructions. His obsession with the dead began two decades ago when his girlfriend, Lori, who would later become his wife, told him the story of “Tent Girl.” In 1968, Lori's father stumbled across the body of an unidentified young woman wrapped in canvas. None of the Georgetown, Ky., locals knew who she was, so they buried her under an apple tree with a tombstone marked simply “Tent Girl.” ”It all sounded so familiar to me,” Matthews said. He began spending all of his spare time researching the case. As described in a recent Associated Press story, once Matthews found his way online, he discovered thousands of people just like him, digging through evidence hoping to solve a case. ”My obsession with 'Tent Girl' finally got annoying for Lori,” Matthews said. “One phone bill was $300, which is a problem when you're making minimum wage.” The two even separated for a period of months. But in 1998, after years of fruitless investigating, Matthews had a breakthrough. A woman from Arkansas had posted a message in a chat room about her sister, who had disappeared 30 years earlier. It was 'Tent Girl.' Or, as it turned out, it was Barbara Ann Hackmann. ”I wish I'd had the Doe Network at the time,” Matthews said. Since a recent Associated Press story, the Doe Network has been bombarded with offers to help. ”We've had about 3,000 e-mails today,” Matthews told the Times-Standard a few days after the article appeared. “Everybody wants to be Batman. But it takes time. Most people lose interest after 10 days.” The Doe Network now works in conjunction with other agencies like Project EDAN -- where forensic artists donate their time to create sketches of the missing -- and the federal agency NamUs, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Mitchell's profile is just one of thousands listed with organizations like the Doe Network and The Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation, which was created by the parents of Carole Sund after she disappeared in Siskiyou County in 1999 and was later found murdered along with her own daughter and friend. In many ways, Mitchell's case is not typical. With most missing persons cases, law enforcement is unable to spend a lot of time pursuing leads, especially after months or years have passed. ”It's just the opposite with this one,” said Dave Parris, who was working as a detective with the Eureka Police Department when Mitchell disappeared. Now the police chief of the Yurok Tribal Police Department, Parris has kept a position with the EPD specifically to work on the case. ”That happened on my watch,” he said. “I'm going to stay with it.” There are now 35 volumes on Mitchell's case at the EPD, “the largest paper trail case in Eureka's history, I would expect,” Parris said. But while the continued efforts of Parris along with the high level of awareness in the community at large make Mitchell's case unique, Bill and Annie Casper, the aunt and uncle with whom Mitchell was living when she disappeared, embrace all offers for help. Databases like the Carringtons' and the Doe Network increase the chances of finding someone, somewhere who knows what happened. Annie Casper believes that locals are still the most likely to prove helpful. But she's thankful for the assistance of others across the country. ”We've utilized many organizations,” she said, “some through the state, some federal. Everything's a help.” Parris said he continues to pursue new leads. ”I feel comfortable with where we're at (with the case),” he said. “But by the same token, she hasn't been found or come home.” As for what really happened on November 25, 1997, Parris admits, “We may never know.” But there are hundreds if not thousands of people online right now, working to solve cases just like Mitchell's. And Matthews' experience shows that, even 30 years later, the right person stumbling upon the right piece of information at the right time can solve a case. And the network is getting bigger all the time. After the Associated Press story appeared in papers around the world, Matthews got a call from a CNN affiliate in Ecuador. ”They wanted to know what they could do to help,” said Matthews. “They asked, 'Can we feature cases from Ecuador?'” He told them he'd have to do some homework -- learn the ins and outs of Ecuadorian law enforcement. But he loved the idea. ”Yeah!” he told them via a translator. “We'll take it international.” Ryan Burns can be reached at 441-0563 or rburns@times-standard.com. |
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Lauran "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. | |
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| monkalup | Mar 18 2009, 08:54 AM Post #11 |
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
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Breakthrough May Be Near in Case of Missing Eureka Teenager By Mary Curtius May 06, 1999 For 17 months, Police Det. David Parris has combed underbrush, searched swamps, banged on doors and run down hundreds of tips--including ones from psychics--in a frustrating search for Karen Mitchell, a high school junior who vanished in broad daylight from a downtown street. The detective's almost immediate conclusion that Mitchell had been kidnapped sent a wave of fear through this North Coast town of 28,000, where no one can remember another teenager being snatched off a city street and there are only about three murders a year. Posters of the oval-faced, green-eyed 17-year-old still hang in shops, and tips still come in to the Police Department. Local media highlighted the case again recently, after two other Eureka residents--Carole Sund and her daughter, Juliana--disappeared on a Yosemite trip and were found murdered in Tuolumne County. Mitchell has never been found, but Parris believes that he may finally have a solid lead in the case. The mystery may have begun to unravel in November, Parris said, when a trucker named Wayne Adam Ford walked into the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department and allegedly confessed to killing four women. He brought with him the severed breast of one victim as proof of his crimes. Ford told investigators that he picked up his victims on the street. They were hitchhikers or prostitutes, who he told detectives died during "rough sex." The first killing Ford allegedly confessed to happened one month before Mitchell disappeared while walking to work at a day-care center Nov. 25, 1997. Mitchell was neither hooker nor hitchhiker, but she was walking down the street when last seen, and three witnesses eventually came forward to say they saw her get into a car that stopped to pick her up. The witnesses, however, differed in describing the car, and the only description of the driver sounded nothing like Ford. When Parris learned of Ford's confession, he got in line to interview the trucker, who lived in a trailer park in nearby Arcata and has relatives in Eureka. It was a long line. Investigators from all over the state and across the West wanted to talk to Ford about unsolved slayings of women dating back to 1986. Parris spent three hours with Ford. The trucker said he had nothing to do with Mitchell's disappearance. Unconvinced, Parris said he tracked down cars owned by Ford's relatives that the trucker might have driven. http://articles.latimes.com/1999/may/06/news/mn-34523 |
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Lauran "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. | |
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| monkalup | Mar 18 2009, 09:10 AM Post #12 |
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
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SEARCH FOR KAREN CONTINUES: Eureka police said they tentatively plan to hold a news conference this Thursday to update the public on the search for Karen Mitchell, the Eureka teen who disappeared near Bayshore Mall in 1997 just days short of her 17th birthday. Over the weekend, investigators combed the foot of Hilfiker Lane and a home in Eureka looking for Mitchell's body. Pursuing what they have said is a new lead, which they have not described, police organized a search team that included the Sheriff's Department and their volunteer rescue team, as well as cadaver-sniffing dogs from the California Rescue Dog Association. The dogs honed in on two areas at the end of Hilfiker, one of which they were not able to search fully because of a rising tide. Police hoped to get back there with a backhoe Wednesday, said spokeswoman Suzie Owsley. http://www.northcoastjournal.com/012204/news0122.html |
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Lauran "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. | |
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| monkalup | Mar 18 2009, 09:15 AM Post #13 |
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
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Grim Discovery in Burned Car Husband Stunned With Grief -- Teens' Classmates Try to Cope Pamela J. Podger, Torri Minton, Chronicle Staff Writers Saturday, March 20, 1999 (03-20) 04:00 PDT Eureka -- Students in a health and safety class at Eureka High School knew something unspeakable had happened when their substitute teacher was handed a note yesterday, just before noon. ``The teacher just went in the corner and cried. We all just knew,'' said Angela Younger, 16. The FBI had announced that two bodies had been found in the trunk of a charred Pontiac in which friends Julie Sund, 15, and Silvina Pelosso, 16, had ridden on a trip to Yosemite with Julie's mother, Carole Sund. The bodies were not identified, but all day yesterday the hallways of Eureka High School were awash in tears. ``I am totally devastated. This has totally devastated the whole school,'' said Nick Lende, 16, a good friend of Julie's since seventh grade, who danced with both girls at Homecoming in October. ``It's the worst thing that could ever happen to anybody,'' he said. ``How anybody could do this shows they are out of their minds.'' Classmates of Julie and Silvina slumped on the floors, red-eyed, hugged in groups and packed the counselors' office. Ten adults were on hand to counsel grief-stricken teens. This is the second such disappearance to hit Eureka High School in two years. In 1997, student Karen Mitchell was picked up by someone outside the food court at the Bayshore Mall, and she has not been heard from since. Yesterday, on one hallway wall were pictures of the two girls -- Julie in her blue cheerleading sweater, and Julie with Silvina, an Argentine exchange student. All around the pictures, in blue, light-green and red markers were messages of hope and affection. ``I miss you in Spanish and World History,'' said one. ``I miss you Juli and love you very much.'' The mother, daughter and their Argentine friend have been missing for more than a month. ``I feel horrible,'' said Claire Lang, 15, her face flushed from crying. ``Whoever did this -- I'm just so mad and angry. I'm not going to feel safe walking anywhere, and I don't believe it. I still don't believe it. I don't even believe it.'' The horrific news came to Jens Sund, Carole's husband, in the form of a note just after a 9:30 a.m. press conference in Eureka. Sund then called Carole's father who had just been briefed about the bodies by the FBI in Modesto, family friend Lee Ulansey said. Jens Sund's first comment after that phone call -- ``This is the most likely thing to happen. But dealing with the reality is something else completely,'' Ulansey said. Sund plans to stay in Eureka for now. ``Jens has three kids who pretty desperately need him, with the news today,'' Ulansey said. Last night, the Sund home was quiet, with white curtains drawn tight. The whole town seems to have been rallying around the family, quietly, for weeks. That includes three retired Caltrans workers who stood outside Stanton's coffee shop in downtown Eureka yesterday -- and worried about the people they had never met. ``Everyone is paying very close attention,'' said Larry Brewer, 65. ``We talk about what's happening to the Sund family every morning over coffee.'' Paul Welty, 72, had a message for the families: ``Hang in there.'' Carole Sund comes from a prominent family, the Carringtons, who made millions in Northern California real estate and now live mostly in Eureka. She has been active in the PTA, and as a court-appointed advocate for CASA, which helps neglected and abused children in the court system. ``Carole Sund is one of the most important parents in Eureka city schools. She's just a wonderful, wonderful woman,'' said Tim Scott, superintendent of Eureka Unified School District. ``Our community has been torn apart,'' he said. ``Our hope for a miracle has obviously faded.'' snipped http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../20/MN54806.DTL |
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Lauran "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. | |
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| monkalup | Mar 15 2010, 05:22 PM Post #14 |
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
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Eureka Police Department 707-441-4044 707-441-4060 Agency Case Number: C979949 NCMEC #: NCMC840753 NCIC Number: M-078723261 dentals available |
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Lauran "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. | |
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| mimi | Dec 3 2012, 09:16 AM Post #15 |
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Advanced Member
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http://www.willitsnews.com/ci_22109689/hol...-karen-mitchell Humboldt cold case: Investigators remember Karen Mitchell 15 years after she disappeared Kaci Poor/The Times-Standardwillitsnews.com Posted: 12/02/2012 02:38:37 AM PST Click photo to enlarge«1» Dave Parris never met Karen Mitchell, but her face is as familiar to him as that of his own children. Parris was working as a detective with the Eureka Police Department when the teenager disappeared 15 years ago. ”I will never forget her short hair, her beautiful eyes and cheeks,” Parris said. “I remember the jewelry that she wore and the clothes that she had on. I have never met Karen Mitchell -- to this day, I have never met her -- but when you go into her bedroom, read her college applications, talk to her family ... you begin to know her.” One of Eureka's enduring unsolved mysteries, Mitchell was living with her aunt and uncle, Annie and Bill Casper, when she disappeared. Just five days shy of her 17th birthday, she was last seen walking along Broadway on Nov. 25, 1997, to the Coastal Family Development Center, where she cared for children. Despite countless hours spent by volunteers and law enforcement banging on doors, scouring Eureka's marshes and running down thousands of tips, she has not been seen since. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children recently sent out reminders marking the 15th anniversary of the teen's disappearance, asking anyone with information about Mitchell or her disappearance to step forward. Any tip would be something, said Parris, who became the lead investigator on the case with David Walker of the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office after Mitchell went missing. Although he is now the Humboldt County coroner -- and the case has been transferred to the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office -- Parris said he still thinks about it constantly. As does Walker, who retired from the sheriff's office nearly 12 years ago and now works for the U.S. Marshals Office in Eureka. He said community members often ask him about Mitchell. ”She lingers in the community,” he said. “But any exciting new tips? No, we haven't had anything major in some time.” The initial investigation Although the case has grown cold over the years, it didn't start out that way. Parris remembers spending hours -- working holidays away from his wife and children -- sorting through the thousands of leads that poured in from the community. Stacks of papers related to the case fill nearly 30 volumes and stand over six-feet high. A command center was set up in a donated room at the Eureka Inn for the family, volunteers and law enforcement officers from multiple agencies who turned out to assist in the case. ”I remember the Christmas tree that was downstairs and remember sitting upstairs in the room,” Parris said. “It was a very lonely time because we were missing someone who was very young. It was the time of year when you want to be happy, but we couldn't be.” At one point, Parris received a tip that he thought might break open the case. A former police officer told the investigator that he had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting a car that had slowed to speak with a girl resembling Mitchell the day she disappeared. Because the driver had irritated the man, Parris said he was able to recall in detailed description the car, a light blue 1977 Ford Granada. Using a DMV printout, Parris and a retired EPD detective crisscrossed the West Coast tracking down each of the 1,200 vehicles that matched the description. Parris said they ultimately failed to get a solid lead. It wouldn't be the first time. There was the caller who claimed to have heard details of Mitchell's kidnapping and murder. Then there was a letter to the Times-Standard from “Topaz,” who said police should try looking behind Taco Bell and Bayshore Mall. In 1999, Parris interviewed confessed serial killer Wayne Adam Ford after the 36-year-old trucker walked into the sheriff's department carrying a female breast in his pocket and told officers he had killed a woman. In the end, investigators could not connect Ford to the Mitchell case. In 2004, police set off on the largest land search since Mitchell disappeared. Investigators and cadaver-sniffing dogs inspected a fenced area near the foot of Truesdale Street and other locations at the foot of Hilfiker Lane, looking for clues. At least one house was also searched, and new interviews were conducted. So far, the search efforts have produced no results. Walker said the 2004 search still rankles him. ”My best guess, for a long time, was that we would find her there,” he said. “I was convinced. It's hard when a case turns out this way. You just want resolution.” Parris said he doesn't regret how he worked the case, but it still keeps him up at night. ”I've spent so many sleepless nights just thinking about what I missed, what hasn't been reported, the leads I had,” he said. “How could I not think about it? This was a young, bright and intelligent girl with a bright path in front of her.” A promising future The day Mitchell disappeared she had been filling out college applications, Parris said. She was planning to go to Humboldt State University and was interested in politics, especially involving the environment, and in children. ”She was 16, very liberal and opinionated,” said Parris, adding that he found recovered video of Mitchell attending a “Save the Redwoods” rally at the Humboldt County Courthouse. “She was there, standing against the wall, quiet and content. I spoke with her teachers; I read her applications. You could tell she was going to be successful. She was going to be a person who would make a real difference.” Mitchell moved to Humboldt County from Southern California when she was 13 to live with her aunt and uncle. Her parents were divorced, and both Mitchell and her mother thought the rural environment would be better for her. Parris said the love Annie Casper had for her niece was obvious. ”Annie didn't have a daughter,” he said. “She had two sons. For her, Karen was more like a daughter than her niece. I don't think a day goes by when she doesn't think about her.” Still missing Eureka Police Chief Murl Harpham was the captain of EPD's investigative division when Parris was assigned to the case. He said he will never forget Mitchell's disappearance. ”I don't think anyone who was around at the time will,” he said. “It really shocked the whole town.” At the time, Annie and Bill Casper were both well known in the business and law enforcement communities, Harpham said. Annie Casper still owns Annie's Shoes. Mitchell had left the store on her way to work when she disappeared. Bill Casper, now retired, worked as the supervisor of the state Department of Justice crime lab in Eureka. The case was hard on the family and the community, but it was also hard on the investigators. Walker said although he and Parris did the best they could, the case reached a point where there wasn't much for them to follow up on. ”The family never gives up,” Walker said. “They want to talk, they have ideas. Obviously, you want to do the best you can and to help ease them along through this tragedy -- but you can only do so much.” Parris said he doesn't think he will ever stop thinking about Mitchell. ”I have worked many, many homicides and major crimes, but this is one that I will never forget because it was so important to the community, and it was so important to me,” he said. “As a cop, I knew I was supposed to get the job done and solve the case. But this case didn't get solved. That doesn't leave you. It just never leaves you.” Both men hold out hope. Walker said he is just waiting for the right person to read a flier or pick up the paper. ”I think there is always a chance,” he said. “It just takes the right person coming forward.” According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, nearly 800,000 children are reported missing every year, with an average of 2,200 reported every day. Bob Lowery, the center's senior executive director, said the majority of those children are found within the first few days. But that doesn't mean long-term missing children, like Mitchell, won't be found, he said. Lowery said anyone with information is asked to call local law enforcement, or the center at 1-800-843-5678. ”Even though some may assume the worst has happened, there are a lot of cases where kids missing long term are still out there and need to be found,” he said. “The public needs to understand that we are still looking for Karen. Law enforcement won't stop looking until she has been physically found.” Parris said he is determined to make sure that happens. Hearing of cases that are solved after 20 or 30 years gives him hope. Given enough time and enough exposure, someone is bound to talk, he said. ”Normally, the results are not good after so long, but the case is solved,” Parris said. “That brings relief to the community and to the family. It's closure. We hope that someday that will happen for Karen Mitchell.” Kaci Poor can be reached at 441-0504 or kpoor@times-standard.com |
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