WA WA - Leah Roberts, 23, Whatcom Co, 13 Mar 2000

[themissingandthelost]

www.findleah.org

Leah's website has been taken down which is so sad.

Possible stupid question, but what happened to her little kitty, Bea? Was she ever found? Possibly a stray that was rehomed by people in the local area?

 

[Richard]

Leah Toby Roberts

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Roberts, circa 2000

• Missing Since 03/01/2000
• Missing From Whatcom County, Washington
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 07/23/1976 (43)
• Age 23 years old
• Height and Weight 5'6, 130 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description 14-karat gold earrings with .3 carat ruby stones and three rings on her right hand, including a 14-karat white gold ring set with a .45 carat emerald-cut diamond flanked by two .07 carat baguette diamonds.
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Sandy blonde hair, blue eyes. Roberts has a surgical scar on her right hip. She has a metal rod inside the entire length of her femur as the result of previous injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Roberts has a beauty mark above the upper corner of her right lip. Her ears are pierced and she has dimples. Roberts is a vegetarian and she smokes cigarettes. She has a strong southern accent and speaks fluent Spanish.

Details of Disappearance

Roberts's loved ones said that she was interested in learning more about her spirituality in 2000. She was coping with the deaths of both of her parents and had been seriously injured in an automobile accident several years prior to her disappearance.

Roberts dropped out of college in Durham, North Carolina during her senior year in 2000 and spent most of her time at Cup 'O Joe, a coffeehouse in the city.

She wrote poetry and journal entries during the day and was intrigued with the writings of Jack Kerouac, the 1950s beatnik author. One of Roberts's favorite novels was Kerouac's 1958 autobiographical book, Dharma Bums, which was set in the Whatcom County, Washington area.

Roberts loved traveling and set out for the northwest United States on March 9, 2000. She did not share her plans with her loved ones, but did leave a note for her roommate. Roberts stated in the letter that she was not suicidal and mentioned her fascination with Kerouac's writings.

Roberts took her kitten, Bea, and drove her white 1993 Jeep Cherokee with the North Carolina license plate number JVP-2881.

Roberts's vehicle was discovered wrecked and abandoned on a logging road in Whatcom County, Washington on March 18, 2000, nine days after she left North Carolina. The Jeep was located near an embankment off of Mount Baker Highway at the foot of the Cascade Mountains, which is approximately 85 miles north of Seattle, Washington.

Authorities discovered a fuel purchase receipt dated during the early morning hours of March 13 from Brooks, Oregon inside Roberts's vehicle. A ticket stub for a March 13 showing of the film American Beauty at the theater in Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham, Washington was also recovered. Cat food was found inside the Jeep as well.

Roberts's guitar, compact discs and checkbook were scattered near the scene. $2,500 was tucked inside a pair of her pants. Blankets had been placed over the vehicle's broken windows, signaling that someone had sought protection from the elements.

There was no sign of Roberts or her kitten at the scene and no evidence of foul play was discovered.

A witness told authorities that he and his wife believed they saw Roberts at a Texaco gas station in Everett, Washington shortly after her vehicle was found abandoned. The man said that the woman appeared to be disoriented and did not recall her identity.

He terminated his conversation with investigators before he could provide additional details. Authorities believe his sighting was valid and that the man panicked during the phone call for undetermined reasons.

There are several theories as to what may have happened to Roberts. Investigators believe that she may have headed towards Mount Baker Highway after her accident and was possibly picked up by a passing motorist. She may have suffered injuries during the wreck and could have been disoriented, as the witness stated, as a result of her condition.

Some people have speculated that an unknown individual was driving Roberts's vehicle at the time of the accident and that foul play may have been involved in her disappearance. There is little evidence to support any theory regarding her whereabouts. Extensive searches of the area around her wreck provided few clues in her disappearance.

Roberts was a soccer player during her college years. Her case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency

• Whatcom County Sheriff's Office 360-676-6650

Source Information

• Unsolved Mysteries
• NamUs
• Whatcom County Sheriff's Office
• Find Leah Roberts
• Burnaby Canadians FC Soccer
• Cicada Consulting Group
• Missing and Unidentified
• Washington State Missing Persons Information
• Leah Toby Roberts – The Charley Project

 

[bragi]

Richard, you should credit your information to the Charley Project, especially since all you did was copy and paste it here. Also, is that even allowed?

 

[JSolt1210]

Richard, you should credit your information to the Charley Project, especially since all you did was copy and paste it here. Also, is that even allowed?

From what I've seen on here, people will often post or re-post information easily available from The Charley Project, Doe Network etc., as a way to "bump" posts, keep cases in view, and encourage general discussion.

I also notice that Richard did credit the Charley Project as the last link in his post.

Hope this helps!

 

[Mors_Et_Vita]

I just thought of something interesting. What if, like Natalie Bollinger's case, Leah had hired a hitman to end her life? It is obvious that Leah was struggling with the loss of both her parents and may have wanted to end her life. People often reject the suicide theory, based on accounts by friends that she was happy, but I hate when people do this. People who may seem content on the outside may be secretly battling deep depression and suicidal thoughts. Perhaps she used some of the cash taken with her to pay the man/woman to end her life, as horrible as it sounds. I have no idea if she was religious or not, but considering suicide is such a great sin in most religions, that might deter her from ending her life herself. It could also be that she didn't want her friends and family to know of her intentions, and reasoned that either her body would never have been found or she was believed to be murdered. A major reason why I consider this a possibility is the lack of a body. In most cases of suicide, the body is eventually found, as the deceased person cannot hide their own body. If it were a hitman, that could explain how the body has never been found as they could have hidden it very well. Sadly, if this theory is correct, it makes it much more difficult to solve. A hitman would likely have no personal connections to the victim.

P.S. please note that this is all speculation and mean no disrespect or ill will towards Leah's family and friends with this suggestion.

 

[JSolt1210]

I just thought of something interesting. What if, like Natalie Bollinger's case, Leah had hired a hitman to end her life? It is obvious that Leah was struggling with the loss of both her parents and may have wanted to end her life. People often reject the suicide theory, based on accounts by friends that she was happy, but I hate when people do this. People who may seem content on the outside may be secretly battling deep depression and suicidal thoughts. Perhaps she used some of the cash taken with her to pay the man/woman to end her life, as horrible as it sounds. I have no idea if she was religious or not, but considering suicide is such a great sin in most religions, that might deter her from ending her life herself. It could also be that she didn't want her friends and family to know of her intentions, and reasoned that either her body would never have been found or she was believed to be murdered. A major reason why I consider this a possibility is the lack of a body. In most cases of suicide, the body is eventually found, as the deceased person cannot hide their own body. If it were a hitman, that could explain how the body has never been found as they could have hidden it very well. Sadly, if this theory is correct, it makes it much more difficult to solve. A hitman would likely have no personal connections to the victim.

P.S. please note that this is all speculation and mean no disrespect or ill will towards Leah's family and friends with this suggestion.

I totally see what you mean... I don't know how common it is, statistically, to hire a hitman for yourself, but when I read this, I immediately thought about the case of Armin Meiwes, the German man who killed and cannibalized Bernd Jürgen Armando Brandes with Brandes' full consent and cooperation. Some people really are willing to allow others to harm them, as with Natalie Bollinger.

Maybe Leah couldn't go through with it herself, and thought, "If I allow someone to do it, then technically it's not suicide." This could've also alleviated any possible religious guilt, or guilt her family might've felt. And yes, you're right, it does solve the issue of hiding her body after.

 

[Thefacelessman]

I totally see what you mean... I don't know how common it is, statistically, to hire a hitman for yourself, but when I read this, I immediately thought about the case of Armin Meiwes, the German man who killed and cannibalized Bernd Jürgen Armando Brandes with Brandes' full consent and cooperation. Some people really are willing to allow others to harm them, as with Natalie Bollinger.

Maybe Leah couldn't go through with it herself, and thought, "If I allow someone to do it, then technically it's not suicide." This could've also alleviated any possible religious guilt, or guilt her family might've felt. And yes, you're right, it does solve the issue of hiding her body after.

Although possible, and can't be unproven unless the real answer came out.......imo that is stretching the imagination (a very long way)! Where she was, pretty much eliminates someone well known to her, who may have had a motive, giving no POI. I would still suggest its a million times more likely she either got lost in the woods where she was and died of natural causes (possibly looking for her cat if it had wandered off) or met an undesirable person in the area she was? I don't think hiding a body in that type of area would be too much of a problem to someone who deliberately killed someone (the amount of missing people on this site gives a fair idea of how hard/easy it is in any area!) ......than paying someone to have herself killed.

 

[Richard]

Richard, you should credit your information to the Charley Project, especially since all you did was copy and paste it here. Also, is that even allowed?

The purpose of this website and many others is to get information out about unsolved crimes and missing person cases. Most of the information on all of these sites is borrowed from other sites or from news sources, police posters, etc. Known/released facts about unsolved cases are not something which can be copyrighted. Opinions, theories, poems, artistic writing about the cases might be.

I have many times posted original material on one site, and then seen my words repeated verbatim on other sites. It happens regularly and every time they are repeated, others get to see them. The whole point is to make these cases known, remembered, and hopefully solved.

You are correct to say that sources and links should be included whenever possible. I try to do that with my posts and encourage others to do the same. There are some specific Websleuths rules regarding this.

 

[JSolt1210]

Although possible, and can't be unproven unless the real answer came out.......imo that is stretching the imagination (a very long way)! Where she was, pretty much eliminates someone well known to her, who may have had a motive, giving no POI. I would still suggest its a million times more likely she either got lost in the woods where she was and died of natural causes (possibly looking for her cat if it had wandered off) or met an undesirable person in the area she was? I don't think hiding a body in that type of area would be too much of a problem to someone who deliberately killed someone (the amount of missing people on this site gives a fair idea of how hard/easy it is in any area!) ......than paying someone to have herself killed.

I agree it's statistically highly unlikely that Leah hired a hitman to kill herself—especially when it would've been easier for her to do that in North Carolina instead of on the opposite side of the country. I just thought it was an interesting theory, but I'm not married to it.

I can definitely see your scenario as more likely, that she wandered off into the woods looking for her cat, couldn't find her way back to her car, and died of exposure there. I don't know how much camping/hiking experience she had, but even people with years of experience have died in the woods.

 

[Mors_Et_Vita]

Th

Although possible, and can't be unproven unless the real answer came out.......imo that is stretching the imagination (a very long way)! Where she was, pretty much eliminates someone well known to her, who may have had a motive, giving no POI. I would still suggest its a million times more likely she either got lost in the woods where she was and died of natural causes (possibly looking for her cat if it had wandered off) or met an undesirable person in the area she was? I don't think hiding a body in that type of area would be too much of a problem to someone who deliberately killed someone (the amount of missing people on this site gives a fair idea of how hard/easy it is in any area!) ......than paying someone to have herself killed.

That is true, but I feel like if she got lost in the woods, she definitely would have been found.

 

[Thefacelessman]

Th

That is true, but I feel like if she got lost in the woods, she definitely would have been found.

....and how many times has a body been found in a 'previously searched area' ....a lot!!
if she wandered off looking for her cat, got lost, walked further away rather than back....she could have easily ended up a substantial distance away from her car?

 

[Mors_Et_Vita]

....and how many times has a body been found in a 'previously searched area' ....a lot!!
if she wandered off looking for her cat, got lost, walked further away rather than back....she could have easily ended up a substantial distance away from her car?

Oh wow...that is true! Remember Michael Henley? He was thought for years to be in that infamous photo with who some believe to be Tara Calico...only to be eventually found just a few miles from the campsite from where he went missing.

 

[SnoopingPacNw]

Remember, her car was tampered with and that the last person she was seen with tried to misdirect police with a false story of Leah hanging out with another man at the bar in the mall restaurant. I don't see anything but red flags of some serious foul play.

 

[Dnp2be]

Remember, her car was tampered with and that the last person she was seen with tried to misdirect police with a false story of Leah hanging out with another man at the bar in the mall restaurant. I don't see anything but red flags of some serious foul play.

Exactly! It’s easy sometimes to get lost in the world of what if’s but more often the most obvious answer is the correct one. I think sometimes the insignificant details are given way too much attention and often inadvertently misleading people. I def agree with you regarding the red flags.

 

[Nixaeagle]

Sometimes I wonder if Israel Keyes is responsible for Leah's disappearance. Perhaps he saw Leah's car alone and decided to go take his chance. I kind of doubt it since there are other POIs, but I don't know.

It’s a good thought . They’re looking for more victims . And they’re very close in age ( Leah 18 months older )
However , best I can tell Keys was in NY in the service when Leah disappeared in March 2000.

FBI fears serial killer Israel Keyes murdered more women

 

[Murkywaters]

It’s a good thought . They’re looking for more victims . And they’re very close in age ( Leah 18 months older )
However , best I can tell Keys was in NY in the service when Leah disappeared in March 2000.

FBI fears serial killer Israel Keyes murdered more women

I thought the same thing. Leah does fit his MO.

New Information Released in Serial Killer Case | Federal Bureau of Investigation

However, according the FBI Israel Keyes was on Temporary duty assignment in Egypt from January 15 - June 1, 2000.

 

[somequestions]

The case of Leah Roberts is featured on the Disappeared episode, Soul Searcher.

I think there are definite signs in this case pointing to foul play like the starter on her Jeep being messed with. If Leah Roberts did not have mechanical knowledge, that is very strange. Plus finding fingerprints and male DNA in her wrecked Jeep is also strange.

One unique piece of evidence was the movie theater ticket found in her wrecked Jeep. The movie she had seen before she disappeared was American Beauty. I remember this film because it had a view unique quote in it towards the end of the movie. I cannot remember the exact words of the quote since I have not seen that movie in a very long time but it went something like this(not verbatim):

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. That is true of every day except one, the day that you die.

 

[Hathor16]

Its interesting that Leah seems to have stashed her mothers ring. A ring that family and friends said she would never take off. Yet her cash was left in her pants. 1) Was she in a sketchy situation where she thought it best not to flash her bling? 2) Did she hide it with the purpose of it being found as a sign? 3) If the money was in her pants, what was she wearing? Seems unnecessarily careless. Unless someone else hastily gathered her clothes and threw them in the car. Then Leah herself, as travelled as she may have been I pick up some serious naïveté and rashness on her part. She was seriously ill prepared for the hike she wanted to take, and thought it totally feasible to take a kitten/coyote bait with? I think that's the weirdest part of the story for me.

 

[Nixaeagle]

We’ve been waiting 9.5 years since disappeared was filmed to hear the results of the male DNA found in her Jeep . If they haven’t identified anyone by now , they need to run it through ancestry websites .


“Sacramento authorities confirmed that they used DNA profiles from ancestry websites to help them catch the Golden State Killer, also known as the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker (EARONS).”

 

[Richard]

James Allen Kinney, born 1949

Convicted murderer serving a life sentence in Washington State.

Could he have been responsible for Leah Roberts' disappearance?

LINK:
James Allen Kinney, DOB 11 Sept 1949