OREGON: David Michael Grubbs, Bike Path Murder, Ashland, Nov '11

[deca]

The Mail Tribune out of Medford OR said today that the reward is up past $10,000 for information.

[Caramel]

I don't know how common machete and/or sword crimes are, but this person ( http://www.gazette.com/sections/arti...&db=colgazette ) robbed a pizza place in Colorado Springs with a machete on Jan. 30.

[deca]

I am not sure (I haven't kept on top of this case) but I don't think LE ever came out and said what the weapon was. I know it was something very sharp and people guessed based on injuries to the victim that it was either a sword or machete- but it could be a garden tool, axe, whatever. There are almost no new info on this case that I know about. I really feel for his family and friends.

[Missizzy]

I don't think this is related but it is unusual for Ashland:

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs...WS07/202090333


Woman reports attack by stranger in south Ashland
February 9, 2012

"An unidentified man sneaked up behind a woman sitting on a bench in south Ashland late Wednesday and dragged her into the bushes where he tried to sexually assault her, police said. The woman, who asked not to be identified, was able to struggle free from the man, who was described as white with a slightly dark complexion and in his mid-20s. The man pulled her into a thicket of bushes behind the bench and tried to remove the woman's clothes...."

and

"....The assault occurred at about 10:15 p.m. in the area where Clover Lane and Ashland Street intersect, about 100 yards east of exit 14 on Interstate 5, O'Meara said. After the short struggle, the man ran through the property where the Best Western Windsor Inn sits and toward Sutton Place, a street behind the inn. The woman described the man as about 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, with a heavy build, dark eyes, and a goatee, police said. The suspect was wearing a black hoodie, white T-shirt and a beanie hat with an emblem on it, and possibly a necklace during the attack...."

more at link

[Missizzy]

Wait. This is Ashland. This is NOT supposed to happen here...especially a block from my house....and where my teen daughter and my grandchildren walk to school and the park. YIKES, I walk my little dog around that corner everyday around dusk.

FWIW, California Street is where Michael lived.

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs...WS07/202100358

Another attempted sexual assault reported in Ashland
February 10, 2012

"Ashland police are investigating another report of an attempted sexual assault by strangers. This morning a woman came to police and said that two men grabbed her and tried to remove her clothing as she jogged past them at about 6:30 p.m. Jan. 31 on the sidewalk near the intersection of Iowa and California Streets...."

and

"....two men accosted an Ashland woman, who asked not to be identified, on Jan. 31. They grabbed her and tried to take off her clothes, then ran off in an unknown direction after a person nearby recognized the woman struggling, and began yelling at the men, Ashland police Detective Sgt. Tighe O'Meara said. The two suspects were described by the victim as white men, about 6 feet tall, possibly in their mid-20's..."

More at link

[Sooner Fan#1]

Originally Posted by Kimster

I just noticed how many of you are new to Websleuths!



I'm so glad you've joined.

[Missizzy]

I'm so sorry. In the post above, I used the name, Michael, in error. David Michael Grubbs lived on California St.

[deca]

It really bothers me that the second sexual assault in this case was TWO men against a woman. I don't know why. Maybe because instead of one sick random individual preying on regular citizens, he managed to find ANOTHER sick individual and team up.
If I remember correctly there was another one or two assaults closer to the plaza last year.

I live near Ashland and I am somewhat surprised that the Grubbs case doesn't have more leads. It is a small enough town that I would think someone knows something. I also would think that the murderer would want to brag to someone, esp. since the crime was committed in an unusual way. My only conclusion is that it must have been one of the many transient/seasonal homeless or semi-homeless people that come in and out of the Rogue Valley. Perhaps when this person comes back into town at some point he will tell someone.

[Troy's mom]

Sad, they send million to other counrty's, yet they can't spend a few dollars to put more law enforcement on our own streets to protect our own people.
Not safe to walk in a park or camp out and I'm so Sick of fighting for Justice.
We should not have to fight for Justice.

[Missizzy]

I've lived in Ashland for 18 years and never ever felt worried about my safety on the streets here. Those on WS who know me, know that my children were hurt by a neighbor--not a stranger. I've only lived near California St. since my stunning return to health (I wrote a long explanation in The Jury Room), back in December. Since I came back to health, I've walked several miles each day. It's been interesting to acclimate to living near the college and having students and others walk by my windows at all hours of the day. However, I've never felt afraid.

This newest assault really concerns me, however. The fact that two men would attack a woman and attempt to remove her clothes with so many houses close by (this area is tightly packed) is tremendously frightening. The police station is also only 2-3 short blocks away. These guys were either drunk (at 6:30 on a weekday, though??) or incredibly stupid. After all, this is only a few hundred feet away from where a peeper was caught a few years ago...by a neighbor. Ashlanders are typically not afraid to step in and get involved. If a neighbor scared off the perps, why did they not call in a report?

I have to wonder why the woman didn't immediately seek help. I'm not judging her at all, just curious. It's sad that she didn't feel empowered to report this when it happened. I'm left wondering....have these guys walked by my house today?

[Missizzy]

FWIW, I'm typing this at 6 pm and it's not yet dark. The attack at California and Iowa occurred around 6:30, 11 days ago. My guess is that it was still dusk. Being that this area has lots of foot traffic, it's really surprising that two guys could be so bold.

[katydid23]

Mizissy,

You mentioned surprise about someone possibly being drunk at 6:30 on a weekday. I used to be a bartender at a nice restaurant. Happy Hour, which is often weekdays, from like 3 to 6pm, for example, gets a whole lot of people DRUNK for half the price.

I think more people tend to get drunk at the Happy Hour than people may realize. People typically get off of work and goin on an empty stomach and begin drinking.

[Missizzy]

That's true, katydid, but most of the people walking in this area are coming straight from college classes to their rented housing or parked cars nearby. The bars are downtown, a little less than a mile away. If guys went downtown to drink, I don't think they'd be walking home at 6:30. Sure, they might have been drinking at a house in the area. Just my observance from living on this street for a few months (and visiting here for the last couple of decades).

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is that this spot is only 2-3 blocks from our high school. After school activities often end around that time. Could these guys have been younger students?

[deca]

Although I don't live there, my husband works in Ashland and I am familiar with the area. Like MizIssy (spelling?) says, it is a friendly town with lots of people walking/biking around, to and from work/school/entertainment whatever. That is why it is surprising that at 6:30 this happened. I don't think I have ever seen a street empty of a pedestrian or bike rider before.*

I wonder if (like someone said above) it was two teens from the hs. I can see a group of them hanging out after school getting into trouble (though this is much worse than "trouble")... also, maybe victim knew the two men and that was why there was some weirdness in reporting?

I don't know.

*To tie this into DMG, I believe there was a person that walked into the crime scene mere minutes after it happened, and the area of this assault is much busier, IMHO.

[Troy's mom]

I just got a friend request on Troy's FB.
From a Robert Hodge Nashville Tenn. photo on his profile creeps me out.
A sword.
Someone should check it out.

[Missizzy]

I drove past the corner of California and Iowa today and carefully checked it out. There's two sets of apts. at that corner--I'm assuming student housing. I wonder if the woman was walking through the apts. and some residents happened to hear a commotion. I can see someone scaring some guys off without really knowing what was going on. They might have simply thought that some guys were hassling a woman. Possibly, she didn't think that it merited a police report until she saw that there was another assault down by the south freeway entrance.

[deca]

I'm sure that is what happened. It has been probably haunting the witness for days.

I think we have all been in situations were we aren't sure if we are seeing someone in trouble or not. I once saw a man beating a woman in the car ahead of me, but it took a few minutes of me watching to figure out if they were just goofing around or not. I called the police, but I lost them in traffic and I also wonder what happened. I doubt the police found them.

I know this is OT,
but i figure at least we are bumping this post up for the unsolved murders in the area.

[Trenton11]

Originally Posted by gooniequeen

http://kdrv.com/page/231152

local rumors are he was be-headed. jeeez.

Angela Brosso, 22 and Melanie Bernas, 17 - AZ - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

Angela Brosso, 22 and Melanie Bernas, 17 - AZ - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

I remember these murders. I lived in Phoenix at the time.
There is something very disturbung about the David Grubbs
murder in Ashland Oregon in late 2011. There are
similarities to the murders of these two girls and David
Grubbs. He was, as they were, on a bike trail alone.
Perhaps the killer is the same person, and he is older and
rusty and could not, 1) Steal the victims bike after the
crime, 2) completely decapitate the victim.

Maybe the killer has eluded capture all of these years by picking isolated areas to muder in and moving to new killing grounds.

I wonder if David Grubbs bike was stolen after the crime?


http://www.thedailybeast.com/article.../12/09/oregon-
police-probe-links-between-ashland-killing-online-
videogames.html

[Missizzy]

I'm local to Ashland and I don't recall reading that David had a bike with him. Am I missing something? Reports say that he was headed home on foot. Possibly he had a bike at his home on nearby California St. though.

Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

[Trenton11]

Originally Posted by Missizzy

I'm local to Ashland and I don't recall reading that David had a bike with him. Am I missing something? Reports say that he was headed home on foot. Possibly he had a bike at his home on nearby California St. though.

Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

So far no article I have read mentions if he had a bike or not. It only says he was on a bike path. Perhaps I am assuming too much.

[Leeza]

Here is another reference to the murder: http://kdrv.com/page/239724
On the local news this morning, they said that the Ashland Police department has received calls from over 100 other police departments with similar crimes. Perhaps the murderer is moving around. Let's hope they find a link soon.

[Missizzy]

I live very very close to the bike path where David was murdered--a short block and a half. There are probably far more folks on foot than on a bike on that path. It's pretty darned busy. I checked all the reports and think that David was walking. It's highly possible, though, that the murderer was on a bike.

[Sleuth2010]

Some of these Ashland young adults were into sword fighting games and video / internet death games. Is it possible it was someone Dave Grubbs knew ? Could it have been unintentional ? My friend wonders if they are out there swinging swords around - - slicing at trees and wood-posts, etc. Could it have been an unintentional ? Then flee in the horror of it all ? Could someone have taken the game too far ? Too obcessed, etc. ?

[deca]

As per the Mail Tribune: FBI behavioral analysts are going to be assigned the case. It is rare that they take on single homicides, but given the violent nature of this crime they decided that they should look at it.

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs...WS07/206120328

[Troy's mom]

I pray for Justice 4 David Grubbs and his family.
Waiting for Justice is so very hard...