Identified! WA - Clark Co., Fem Skeletal Remains, near Fly Creek, Feb'80 - Sandy Morden

[JovanSrna]

Kinda weird that her NamUs profile is still up.

 

[Beekarina]

I wonder who would have been around at that time. So far we can mark off Warren Forrest and Ted Bundy from the list. But to me, Green River Killer Gary Ridgeway still seems plausible to me. But who else could have been around?

Rodney Alcala?

I always wonder where he was, and if he could have been involved. From time spent here reading about him, I think he is responsible for a lot more than we know of.

In 1977/78, he was pretty actively seeking victims.
TIMELINE - Where was Alcala and when?

 

[Seekingtruth08]

she couldve started dating an older guy and ran off or been kidnapped then murdered by him. or maybe she was being abused by someone who knew her Dad/her life with her Dad and that person killed her to avoid getting caught. also, that areas very, very remote where she was found. Ive lived in Clark County for 4 years and noone I know goes to that area. the killer was familiar with that area or camping/outdoors, and did not want her being found. i wish we knew whether her parents filed missing persons report, if she had a journal, boyfriend, etc. why did her aunt/uncle not ask where she was, file a report? what were they told by the parents?

 

[Seekingtruth08]

she couldve started dating an older guy and ran off or been kidnapped then murdered by him. or maybe she was being abused by someone who knew her Dad/her life with her Dad and that person killed her to avoid getting caught. also, that areas very, very remote where she was found. Ive lived in Clark County for 4 years and noone I know goes to that area. the killer was familiar with that area or camping/outdoors, and did not want her being found. i wish we knew whether her parents filed missing persons report, if she had a journal, boyfriend, etc. why did her aunt/uncle not ask where she was, file a report? what were they told by the parents?

 

[Al Ka]

Family of ID’d Jane Doe hope for clues in 1980 cold case
Sandy Morden vanished sometime after May 1977
---
“How, why, who? A 17-year-old girl murdered? Why, why would somebody do that?”

Leslie Brophy has so many questions, made almost impossible to answer because so much time has gone by since her cousin disappeared. Still, she is hoping someone will be moved to phone in a critical tip, by sharing her memories of Sandy Morden, now that she’s been finally identified after 40 years.
---
Sandy, born in 1962, was the daughter of Andrew “Andy” Bain Morden and Kathryn Irene Morden, who divorced in the early 1970s. Sandy lived with her father, moving around Clark County and Portland. She went to Binnesmead Middle School (now called Harrison Park) from 1974 to 1975 and Gaiser Middle School from 1975 to 1976, then Wilson High School in Portland in 1976 and 1977.

Leslie Brophy only has a handful of pictures of her younger cousin Sandy and her uncle Andy, mostly from Thanksgiving 1974.
---
Leslie also has a picture showing the trailer Sandy and her father lived in near Amboy, Washington. She said she remembers Andy being gone for two weeks at a time to work on tug boats. Sandy would be left alone, except for her dog — a St. Bernard mix named Barfy.

One day, Andy came home to find Sandy missing. Leslie said Barfy was still inside the RV and had destroyed it, perhaps in his desperation to escape.

Leslie said her uncle hired a private investigator but Sandy had vanished.
---
The family assumed Sandy left to live with her mother who Leslie described as “not mom material at all.”

“Sandy’s mom abandoned her and apparently a previous family. Lindsay discovered before she married my Uncle Andy she had a relationship with someone down in San Francisco and had three children, and left them to go become a movie star in Hollywood,” Brophy said.
---
Leslie said she has considered the possibility a serial killer took her cousin’s life.

“When I first met with the police department that was my first question: could this be Ted Bundy, could this be the Green River Killer,” said Leslie. “And they said, ‘No no, we looked at that.'”
---
Detectives also looked at suspected serial killer Warren Forrest, because he would leave his victims in remote parts of Clark County. They ruled him out because he was already behind bars when Sandy went missing.

Leslie is one of the few people left who remember Sandy. Her mother, Kathryn Irene Morden, died in San Francisco in 1988 and her dad died in Ilwaco, Washington in 1999 after retiring there.
---
Detectives want to hear from any friends, neighbors, coworkers or anyone who knew the Morden family, especially in the 1970s. If you know anything, contact Det. Schultz at lindsay.schultz@clark.wa.gov or call 360.397.2036. Tips can also be reported to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office at 360.397.2211.

Family of ID’d Jane Doe hope for clues in 1980 cold case

Edit to add: There is a bit confusion with different news articles reporting her age different due to gap between her going missing and being found in 1980. She was 15 years old when she was last seen in 1977, so depends when her demise happened she could have been 15 up to 17 when she was murdered.

 

[bcbevan]

I have 2 general theories that I would run with...
1) She was hitch hiking to get to town and met with foul play.
2) A neighbor or co worker of the father studied the schedule or new when he was out of town.

I would search for sex offenders in the area or associates of the dad. The first theory seems more likely. However they both would be my top priority.

A boyfriend would have come up. Or maybe lack there of would be a red flag as to why no boyfriend came forward during the missing days...

 

[Beekarina]

Wow. The article gives more insight into her lifestyle.

It seems less likely a serial killer, although certainly not impossible, and more likely a local familiar with the area AND Sandy and her father's routine.

I wonder if Sandy had a part-time job? She was the right age. If her cousin finds this thread, suggest posting in local Facebook groups for Amboy and surrounding. Local alumni, "If You Grew Up In".

Sandy must have made an impact on someone. Even someone who remembers Barfy. A St. Bernard sticks out.

So sad.

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

So this could give us a clearer timeframe possibly. Wouldn't there be a record of him hiring the private investigator? And I wonder if the PI had any contact with the mother at all (probably not since family assumed she was with her). I wonder how long Barfy was left alone. Unfortuately Barfy could have destroyed any evidence if there was any left. I do wonder if he had any one check on her or if he had her call him periodically. I just can't see how a child could be left alone for two weeks at a time.

 

[TmmEye]

I made this reconstruction of Sandy combining her 1974 photo from Leslie and the Parabon Reconstruction. This is my best estimation of her appearance back from 1977.

 

[AnnieOakley]

If Sandy and her father were living in a trailer in Amboy in May 1977, she most certainly was not attending Wilson HS in Portland. So, had they just moved up there (perhaps it was a "summer" house for them?) after Sandy finished the school year at Wilson? Or had she left Wilson before the school year was out? Was she moving schools again, dropping out, or just planning to spend the summer in Amboy?

School got out in June in Clark county schools, but it's possible that Portland schools were on a different schedule....

 

[TmmEye]

If Sandy and her father were living in a trailer in Amboy in May 1977, she most certainly was not attending Wilson HS in Portland. So, had they just moved up there (perhaps it was a "summer" house for them?) after Sandy finished the school year at Wilson? Or had she left Wilson before the school year was out? Was she moving schools again, dropping out, or just planning to spend the summer in Amboy?

School got out in June in Clark county schools, but it's possible that Portland schools were on a different schedule....

Maybe they’re talking about later May. Schools were different on getting out back then. It honestly depended on where you went.

 

[Jake479]

RIP Sandy Morden

 

[TmmEye]

I recently profiled the WCJD case (you can find my profile in her thread), and I think this case would get wonders with profiling. So what did I learn from this case, here is what I believe our suspect was like:

• Sandy’s killer was likely very organized, but had some disorganized traits. This would probably mean he had some discipline as a child, but not a lot of it.
• It cannot be ruled out her killer was female, but it was most likely male.
• Sandy’s killer is what is considered a “Power/Control Killer”, whom tend to kill to control power over the victims
• Sandy’s killer was likely geographically dispersed at the time, indicating she died closer to the scene, but was dumped there
• I suspect her killer was a local based on the fact that Sandy was found in a region which seems to be harder to find, as she was dumped alongside the road, contrary to what has been said. I’ll show this picture of where she was found (provided by Koin6)

 

[JasonFutchLakeCityFL]

I recently profiled the WCJD case (you can find my profile in her thread), and I think this case would get wonders with profiling. So what did I learn from this case, here is what I believe our suspect was like:

• Sandy’s killer was likely very organized, but had some disorganized traits. This would probably mean he had some discipline as a child, but not a lot of it.
• It cannot be ruled out her killer was female, but it was most likely male.
• Sandy’s killer is what is considered a “Power/Control Killer”, whom tend to kill to control power over the victims
• Sandy’s killer was likely geographically dispersed at the time, indicating she died closer to the scene, but was dumped there
• I suspect her killer was a local based on the fact that Sandy was found in a region which seems to be harder to find, as she was dumped alongside the road, contrary to what has been said. I’ll show this picture of where she was found (provided by Koin6)View attachment 225393

Was that photo an original crime scene photo?

 

[TmmEye]

Was that photo an original crime scene photo?

No. It was from their broadcast with her cousin, Leslie Brophy, and they pointed towards the area she was found.

 

[AnnieOakley]

Maybe they’re talking about later May. Schools were different on getting out back then. It honestly depended on where you went.

Right. I should have said my comment differently-- What I meant was that she was not living in Amboy and commuting to Wilson HS. So I was wondering if the school year had already ended, had she left school early that year (sounds odd, but trust me, I work in a high school and you wouldn't believe how many do this)...

At any rate, I'm thinking they probably weren't living there in the trailer for very long. So how many people were aware of this trailer, and that people were living there--- especially a girl by herself?? Neighbor? Family friend/ coworker of dad's? Friend of Sandy's?
I believe there are important clues in the ownership and timeline of them living in this trailer. Do we know the location of it?

 

[TmmEye]

Right. I should have said my comment differently-- What I meant was that she was not living in Amboy and commuting to Wilson HS. So I was wondering if the school year had already ended, had she left school early that year (sounds odd, but trust me, I work in a high school and you wouldn't believe how many do this)...

At any rate, I'm thinking they probably weren't living there in the trailer for very long. So how many people were aware of this trailer, and that people were living there--- especially a girl by herself?? Neighbor? Family friend/ coworker of dad's? Friend of Sandy's?
I believe there are important clues in the ownership and timeline of them living in this trailer. Do we know the location of it?

Im gonna guess Sandy lives in a trailer park.

 

[AnnieOakley]

Im gonna guess Sandy lives in a trailer park.

The thing is, there really aren't trailer parks up in Amboy. There is a campground up there where people do live in their trailers, but more often, people are living on a piece of land in a trailer or RV. I'm not certain about what was there back in 1977, but the area, even today, is really pretty rural. I'm curious to know where exactly they were living, especially in relation to where her body was found.
I'm thinking this had to be someone who knew the area pretty well, and I also think they perhaps knew when Sandy was alone.

 

[theshadow45]

Sandra was found 40 years ago today.

 

[fotoaus]

Jamie Rochelle Grisim

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
# Missing Since: December 7, 1971 from Vancouver, Washington
# Classification: Endangered Missing
# Date Of Birth: November 11, 1955
# Age: 16 years old
# Height and Weight: 5'4, 125 pounds
# Distinguishing Characteristics: Red hair, brown eyes. Grisim's hair was bleached blonde at the time of her disappearance. She wears eyeglasses for reading. Her ears are pierced and one of her teeth is missing. Grisim's last name is spelled "Grissim" by some agencies.

Details of Disappearance
Grisim was last seen on the morning of December 7, 1971, as she left her residence in the vicinity of the 5300 block of northeast 58th Street for the day's classes at Fort Vancouver High School in Vancouver, Washington. She was wearing blue hip-hugger jeans, a red and white striped blouse with a round neckline and puffed sleeves, white tennis shoes with drawings and the words "peace" and "love" written on them, and possibly a long brown corduroy coat and long, dangling earrings. She has never been heard from again. Grisim's purse, identification, and other possessions were found in May 1972, five months after her disappearance, in a wooded area alongside a road in the Dole Valley area of Northern Clark County, northeast of Vancouver.
Grisim is believed to be the first victim of a possible serial killer, who is thought to have raped and killed at least six young women in the Vancouver area. He was convicted of murdering one woman in 1978 and received a life sentence in prison. The bodies of five other women who are believed to be his victims have been recovered in rural Clark County, two of them not far from where Grisim's possessions were found.
The individual has not been charged in connection with Grisim's case, however, or in any of the other murders attributed to him. She remains missing and foul play is suspected in her case.


I was unable to find any information (just on a quick google search) on Cherie Wyant.

did anyone pick up that some of grissim's articles were found in the same locality as 427UFWA