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http://www.wral.com/news/9084288/detail.html





One Year After Homicide, Durham Woman's Family Looks For Answers

POSTED: 11:14 pm EDT April 28, 2006
UPDATED: 11:18 pm EDT April 28, 2006
DURHAM, N.C. -- It's been one year since 25-year-old Janet Abaroa was stabbed and killed in her Durham home, but her killer is still on the loose. After a tough year without her, her family is honoring her memory.Durham police say the case was not random, but they still haven’t identified a suspect. Abaroa was killed with her 6-month-old child in the house. There was no sign of forced entry.One year later, Abaroa's family is desperate for answers."We don't feel like we are any closer to an end than a year ago," says Abaroa's sister, Dana Kendall.Abaroa never made it to her first Mothers Day, or her son's first birthday. Her family didn't know it when she died, but an autopsy revealed she was pregnant again."They knew this would be hard on me, so they didn't tell me for quite a while," says Janet Christiansen, Abaroa's mother. <li>
On The Web: Tears For Janet Along with sadness, many family members feel frustration too, but not at police."We know they are doing all they can," says Abaroa’s sister-in-law Connie Christiansen.They feel helpless in knowing their loved one didn't have to die."It was a deliberate act of someone taking her life, and it didn't have to be," says Kendall.The investigation has revealed Abaroa and her husband were having money problems. Raven Abaroa pleaded guilty to embezzling from his workplace. He now lives in Utah with the couple's child.Abaroa's sisters say they don't speak to him often. Her mother wishes she could just speak to her daughter again."I can't call her on the phone,” said Janet Christiansen. “I had her message and someone inadvertently deleted it. I was mad and furious for a week. I wanted to hear her voice."Now, her family and friends are her voice. On Saturday night, they'll light candles to remember her.The candlelight vigil will be held in Janet Abaroa's honor Saturday at 7p.m. at the Civic Center Plaza on Foster Street in Durham. Candles will also be lit in several states at the same time.Reporter: Melissa Buscher
Photographer: Ed Wilson
Online Editor: Dana Franks


​
 
abc11tv.com: Vigil to Remember Abaroa

More than 100 people attended a candlelight vigil to honor a Durham woman found murdered in her home one year ago.

Janet Abaroa died inside her Ferrand Drive home last April. Police still have not found her killer. Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong said the case is still on.

"I wish that I could give you more, but by my presence here, I commit to you that we will do everything we can to bring her killer to justice," he told the crowd at the vigil.

Police do not believe the crime was random, but no arrests have been made. Durham police would like to hear from anyone with information about the case.
 
http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-773718.htmlBy BriAnne Dopart : The Herald-Sun
bdopart@heraldsun.com
Sep 27, 2006 : 10:54 pm ET

DURHAM -- After exhausting all leads in the murder case of Janet Abaroa, Durham police homicide investigators are turning to a famed psychic for help.

Lead homicide investigator Jack Cates confirmed Wednesday that investigator S.W. Vaughan has begun using a psychic to assist in developing leads in the 17-month-old probe into the stabbing death of the 25-year-old wife and mother.

Raven Abaroa reported discovering his wife's body in the couple's Ferrand Drive home on April 26, 2005. The murder weapon was never recovered, and while police would not say if there were signs of forced entry into the home, they said they believed the murder "was not a random act."

Cates would not confirm the identity of the psychic, but a source with knowledge of the case told The Herald-Sun that high-profile psychic Laurie McQuary of Lake Oswego, Ore.-based Management by Intuition, had stepped in to help develop leads.

The Herald-Sun was unable to reach McQuary for comment Wednesday.

McQuary, who has appeared on the Court TV show "Psychic Detectives" and been featured on CNN's "Larry King Live," has worked with law enforcement since 1985, according to her Web site. She has aided in investigations ranging from missing persons to homicides. She is married to a former Oregon homicide detective whom she met while working on a case.

That story is the subject of a book and a documentary that has aired on the Lifetime cable channel.

Janet Abaroa's sister, Dena Kendall, said the family has long been encouraging homicide investigators to use a psychic in hopes that investigators might uncover evidence that will lead to an arrest.

"We'll do anything we can to help solve the case," Kendall said. "We'll do whatever it takes."

Chief Steve Chalmers said he wasn't aware Vaughan had begun using the help of a psychic in the Abaroa murder investigation but said that it didn't surprise him.

He has encouraged all of his investigators to "get creative and think outside the box," he said.

"We're going to use every tool available to us to substantiate evidence," he added. "There are people who believe in it and people who don't. But we have a responsibility to gather any evidence we can. It's our responsibility to seek out those individuals who can help us regardless of any cynicism."

The Herald-Sun could not confirm if McQuary was being paid by anyone for her services. The city's Finance Department reported that no checks had been issued to anyone by her name.

Although instances are few and far between, the Abaroa case is not the first time Durham law enforcement has been assisted by a psychic, according to Capt. Paul Martin of the Sheriff's Office.

Martin, a former captain with the Durham Police Department, recalled Sheriff's Office investigators using the assistance of psychic Dorothy Allison in the search for the body of 13-year-old Darlene Tilley in the fall of 1980.

"It's something that has been done around the country for a while now ... the success rate I don't know," Martin said.

"I would do anything to clear a difficult case," he added.

Durham resident Gerald Endress said he wasn't surprised to learn that police had enlisted McQuary's assistance, especially since the idea of involving psychics in investigations has been so popularized on television. If all other leads have been exhausted, Endress said, using a psychic might be a good idea.

Resident Kathy Fitts agreed, but said she hoped tax dollars aren't being used to foot the bill.

"You expect your tax dollars to be going to city improvements ... not toward things you would hope the police department would be able to do on their own," she said.
 
http://www.nbc17.com/news/9949918/detail.html

DURHAM, N.C. -- NBC17 has learned that Durham police have made a new attempt to solve a cold murder case.


NBC17 has confirmed that a psychic was called in to help with the Janet Abaroa murder investigation.



In April 2005, the 25-year-old mother was found stabbed to death inside her Durham home.
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Psychic Laurie McQuary is in the Triangle and is working on the case with investigators.



Police said there were no signs of a break-in at the crime scene, and they do not believe it was a random act.



Authorities have not charged anyone in connection with the case.



A reward is being offered for any information that leads to an arrest.
 
Police Use Psychic in Murder Investigation WTVD Eyewitness News

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=triangle&id=4607251

(09/28/06 - DURHAM) -
Durham Police are turning to a psychic to solve a 17-month-old murder investigation.

Wednesday's Herald Sun is reporting that police are getting help from psychic Laurie McQuary in the murder of Janet Abaroa. The 25-year-old wife and mother was found stabbed to death in her Durham home last year. Her family has apparently been urging police to seek the help of a psychic.
 
WRAL

Psychic Called In To Help Solve Durham Slaying

http://www.wral.com/news/9955305/detail.html

POSTED: 12:25 pm EDT September 28, 2006

DURHAM, N.C. -- Durham police asked a woman who claims she is a psychic to help try and solve the murder of a young, pregnant mother.

Janet Abaroa was found stabbed to death in her home more than a year ago. Abaroa's husband, Raven, told police he came home and found his wife's dead body.

The couple's 6-month-old son was found unharmed in a nearby room.

At the urging of Abaroa's family, police are consulting with Laurie McQuary. McQuary lives outside Portland, Ore.
 
http://www.wral.com/news/10275825/detail.html

Police Follow New Lead In Durham Woman's 2005 Slaying

"We did just get a lead on the case that involves computers," said Cpl. Sheldon Perkins of the Durham Police Department, who declined to be more specific.

Shortly after the slaying, investigators seized the couple's e-mail accounts and sifted through correspondence before and after the murder.

Also, a laptop computer was listed in court documents as missing from the home.

Investigators said much of their work in the past year has involved tying outside information to clues found at the scene.

"We got a lot of forensic evidence on the scene," Perkins said. "But sometimes it's just as important the evidence you don't find."

and

"We have some people we're looking at, and we do have a person of interest," he said. "I feel it's a very good case."
 
Of Janet Abaroa and Michelle Young, and Murder…

http://crimeblog.us/?p=208

(UNRELATED NOTE: Please check out this entry at www.unsolvedblog.com, about missing Maine teen Coreen Wiese. Good news on 11/12/06; Coreen Wiese may have been found alive.)

Over a year ago in Durham, North Carolina, a pregnant young mother was murdered in her home. And while the murder of Janet Abaroa remains unsolved, I don’t think I’d call it a high-profile crime. A mention here and there on cable news, regular updates on the lack of progress in the case in the local Durham media… and some very dedicated people discussing the case online.

Yet Janet’s case seems, sadly, to fade a little each day. This report by WRAL TV out of Raleigh published earlier tonight is encouraging, but it is the first article of its kind in quite some time. Hopefully it means I’ll have reason to do a full update on Janet’s case soon.

Why one murder in a region is seized upon by certain national media outlets (link goes to one example of many of a high-profile cable news show that covers such crimes) and another is not will always remain, to some degree, a mystery to me (note to readers: please don’t try and explain it in the comments below. I know the usual reasons. That doesn’t mean it makes sense).

Janet was already a mother to a baby boy, who was asleep in a room nearby when she was murdered. She was pregnant when she was murdered. Janet’s good-looking, athletic husband Raven Abaroa was out of the house when she was murdered, allegedly, therefore seemed to have an alibi.

But Raven, as you will see if you read the archived entries from my past blogging about this crime, has never sat well with people wondering what happened to his wife. Perhaps he’s been guilty of just not being particularly likeable. Of being obviously narcissistic and materialistic, therefore reminding people who talk crime online and off of other husbands whose wives met similar fates, like Scott Peterson.

Or, worst-case scenario, Raven killed his wife and is getting away with murder right now, partying out in Utah, where he was originally from. And he has custody of his and Janet’s son.

In Raleigh, North Carolina, a case with very similar outlines is starting to play out in the news.

A pregnant mother was murdered, her toddler daughter in the house. The 29-year-old woman’s husband was out of town, across the state in Brevard, NC, where he is originally from.

This murdered young mother was found by her younger sister.

I’m writing about Michelle Marie Fisher Young, who was found in her home near Lake Wheeler in Wake County, NC.

Michelle’s battered body was discovered on Friday, November 3rd.

Tonight, on Greta van Susteren’s On the Record, the 911 tape of the call made when Michelle was found was played. It was heartbreaking, and chilling.

Michelle’s sister Meredith Fisher could be heard on the tape, sounding tense but not hysterical. The operator was instructing Meredith in a firm voice, ensuring little Cassidy, Michelle’s two-year-old daughter, was safe. Then the operator instructed Meredith to check on Michelle, turn her over, see if she was breathing.

Something seemed to crumble inside the young woman’s voice, then. To hear it, click this link. The mp3 of the call is hosted by the News-Observer.

There was blood everywhere in the Young household, footprints where Cassidy had padded through it, alone with her dead mother for perhaps half a day.

In the murder of Janet Abaroa, Raven has never been named outright by the police as a suspect.

Yet Jason Young, age 32, is apparently a suspect in his wife’s murder. The article found here was published just 5 days after Michelle was murdered. From the News-Observer:

Jason Young told investigators he was in Brevard in the western part of the state visiting family when her body was found.

Young, 32, is named as a suspect on the order, however, he was not required to make a statement, nor was he subject to interrogation, according to Willoughby. Detectives had already seized his car as part of their investigation.

Young has not been charged with anything. A call to his attorney for comment was not returned Wednesday afternoon.

(…)

“[Jason Young] complied with the order and went to the City-County Bureau of Identification,” said Phyllis Stephens, the sheriff’s office spokeswoman. CCBI, located in the same building as the sheriff’s office, conducts crime scene investigation and processes fingerprints and blood samples for various law enforcement agencies in the county…

​
Murders are as individual as people. So I know that though the surface elements of Janet Abaroa’s and Michelle Young’s murders are similar, the details are likely very, very different.

Knowing that, I still read of Jason Young already being the subject of serious suspicion in his wife’s murder and I wonder what was different in Janet Abaroa’s murder in Durham in April, 2005. Since I have pretty decent knowledge of that investigation, I have some idea — for one thing, information like fingerprints and dna were apparently not that helpful in establishing whether or not someone had been in the Abaroa home who didn’t need to be there.

I will be keeping track of developments in both cases. Hopefully the investigation into Janet Abaroa’s murder may begin to catch up with the seemingly swift progress in determining who may have murdered Michelle Young. Any tips are welcome, and you can remain anonymous, your information completely confidential. I’ve inserted a contact form below to make it easy. Please be sure you intend to send an e-mail, and do not confuse the contact form with the comment field. Removed the contact form. Go here, instead.
 
Was it ever proven that Raven was actually at the game the whole time? I wonder if the clothes that he gave LE are actually the clothess that he wore to the soccer game. Was the game close enough to his town that he could have left the game and then went back without anyone paying any attention?

If Raven murdered Janet he would have had to have blood on his clothing. Could he have murdered her....showered and changed his clothes...before he called LE? I would think that they have only his word about what time he got home.

Glad the FBI is involved in this case. Hope between the FBI and local LE they can figure out who did this and arrest them.
 
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1361133/
April 26, 2007


Durham Police Keep Husband on Suspect List in Slaying

1177643101_abaroa-220x165.jpg

Posted: 28 minutes ago
Durham &#8212; For the first time, Durham police are saying that Janet Abaroa's husband, Raven Abaroa, has not been eliminated as a suspect in her slaying two years ago.

And even though the killing on April 26, 2005, is otherwise considered a cold case, detectives say it's still very active.

&#8220;It's a very active open investigation. We are pursuing things. Our investigators are still spending hours and hours on it, and we're working with the FBI in Utah on it,&#8221; said Durham police spokeswoman Kammie Michael.

Janet Abaroa, 25, was stabbed to death in her Durham home. Raven Abaroa told police he found her in an upstairs bedroom. Their 6-month-old son, Caiden, was unharmed nearby.

Detectives have said they've continued to follow leads in the case, but this is the first time, they admit they have not ruled out Raven Abaroa as a suspect.

Since the killing, he and Caiden have moved to Utah.

Janet Abaroa&#8217;s family says the wait has been almost unbearable.

&#8220;It's up and down. Some days are good and some days are not good. Some days are very bad,&#8221; said Dana Kendall, Janet Abaroa&#8217;s sister.

WRAL spoke with Kendall by phone, and she said the past two years have been frustrating.

&#8220;Although two years passed and you try to move on and move on with your life, it's hard to do it when nothing's been reconciled,&#8221; Kendall said.

Durham police maintain there will be closure eventually, and there will be an arrest.

 
Vigil, March Held to Call for End to Violent Crimes


http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1364721/

1177731361_durham-220x165.jpg

Posted: Apr. 27 11:51 p.m.
Durham — Friends, relatives and strangers gathered Friday night to remember people whose lives were lost to violence and to call for change.
Nearly 100 people showed up for a vigil and a march against crime sponsored by the Durham Police Department. Most of the marchers had the same message: End violence, especially gang violence, in Durham now.
"My sister-in-law, Janet Abaroa, was murdered two years ago here in Durham. We just felt it was important to support this walk against crime," Connie Christiansen said. "It helped to be able to feel like you're supporting others and try not to focus too much on what you're going through."
Abaroa, a 25-year-old mother, was stabbed to death in her Durham home two years ago Thursday. The case remains unsolved.


Twelve-year-old Jamal Lowery's mother was murdered in January 1996, and he still can't describe what life is like without her.


"I don't know. Many of you may be thinking, 'How don't you?' Well, I just don't," Jamal told those in attendance.


Many students from North Carolina Central University took part to show support for fallen classmates near and far.


"I just came out to show my love and support for Virginia Tech victims," student Jevon Rogers said.


"It's always a good time to show support for people that have been victims of violence, and violence that happened on our campus, Ms. Denita Smith, as well," student Tafari Higgins said.


Smith, an N.C. Central graduate student from Charlotte, was fatally shot outside her apartment in January. A Greensboro woman who police say was obsessed with Smith's fiance has been charged with murder in the case.
"When you see the suffering like we've seen this evening, you can't go back tomorrow to business as usual. We're going to have to really come together as a community ... to bring about change," Durham Police Chief Steve Chalmers said.


The police department also will host a Saturday banquet for crime victims.

 
Still no arrest in Michelle Young murder

http://news14.com/content/top_stories/582047/still-no-arrest-in-michelle-young-murder/Default.aspx

05/03/2007 08:50 PM

By: Ann Forte

RALEIGH -- Work men were installing new carpet inside 5108 Birchleaf Dr., Thursday afternoon. The workers say no one is living there right now, six months after Michelle Young was found beaten to death inside.
Her killer has not been caught.

"We'd like to solve it, of course, quickly, but it's such a complex case, we have to make sure we get our information correct," explained Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison.

A pregnant 29-year-old Young was found dead inside her home on Nov. 3, 2006. Her two-year-old daughter, Cassidy, was also found in the home, unhurt. Young’s family pleaded for help in solving the case.

In November, Linda Fisher, Michelle’s mother, told reporters, "I'm asking for anyone who has seen or heard anything -- as trivial as you might think it is, anything -- to please come forward and help find the person who murdered my daughter."

Attention has centered on Young’s husband, Jason Young. Previously released court documents show the couple was having financial problems before Michelle died, and Jason Young stood to benefit financially from his wife's death.

Open case

It has been exactly six months since Michelle Young was beaten to death inside her Wake County home.
http://javascript<b></b>:watchVid('56773');
Harrison said his investigators have interviewed more than 100 people in connection with the case, but they are still waiting on at least one interview. They are still waiting to talk to Jason Young.

"Well, he just will not talk to us,” Harrison explained. “We'd try to go through his attorney, and also contact him, and he has failed to come in or failed to meet us anytime that we've asked."

Police have already taken fingerprints, footprints, and a blood sample from Jason Young. He was out of town when Michelle's body was found. Investigators are not calling him a suspect, but they are not ruling anyone out either.

A similar case in Durham is still unsolved. It has been two years, and police still do not know who murdered a pregnant mother in Durham. Janet Abaroa was found dead in her home in April 2005.
 
MySpace Crusader


wtvd_byline.gif
By Rebecca Hall

(05/09/07 -- RALEIGH) - The page is not a typical MySpace page.
Also on abc11tv.com:
Send Us Your Tips | Real-time Traffic | AccuWeather Forecast "It was coming up on the second anniversary of my brother-in-law's murder," said Renne Abde.

The pictures are not from a party or vacation like on other pages. The people on the page were all murdered.

"His case is still unsolved in Clearwater, Florida," said Abde.

Her page is solely dedicated to unsolved homicides. She started it about a year ago.

"I was angry, really is why I started it," Abde said.

Angry that her brother-in-law's murderer had still not been caught after two years.

"I couldn't handle it anymore, I need to not only say I'm upset this happened, but I needed to find other people who wanted answers too," Abde said. "I thought there's no better way to get the information out there than to use MySpace."

So she decided to use the community web page for the good of helping others, posting pictures of murder victims along with their stories.

"Some are nationally well known, like the Jon Benet Ramsey case," Abde explained.

Others like the Michelle Young and the Janet Abaroa case happened in the Triangle. Both remain unsolved.

Abde said people across the country took note.

"It started right away," she said. "Within the first day, I had 21 friends."

Now she has nearly 700 friends and 4,000 have visited the site.

Kim Duffy is one of those friends. Her 19-year-old pregnant daughter, Angie, was murdered seven years ago in Hammond, Indiana along with Angie's 2-year-old daughter.

"She was about to give birth to her baby and somebody came into her house and killed her," Duffy said. "And then lit her house on fire to cover up their crime."

It is just one of many unsolved cases highlighted on Abde's Web page. She said she researches a case in depth before putting it on her site.

No case breaking leads have turned up just yet, but she believes that will take time and awareness -- something she's trying to patiently provide.

"Somebody knows something somewhere," Abde said. "You never give up. You gotta keep doing it. You gotta keep trying to find out, heal from it. If you can't, it's going to tear you up."
DISCUSS THIS STORY
Have a comment about this story or another story you've seen on abc11tv.com? Click here to join the discussion in our forum.

wtvd_120.RebeccaHall.jpg
ABC11 News Team
Rebecca Hall, Reporter
RELATED: Rebecca's BIO



 
http://www.ncwanted.com/unsolved/story/3456426/?d_feature_story=1

Abaroa Widower Remarries in California By NC WANTED Staff
Posted: Aug. 29, 2008 2:30 p.m.
Updated: Aug. 29, 2008 4:12 p.m.
DURHAM COUNTY NC WANTED has learned that Raven Abaroa recently tied the knot in La Jolla, California. Sources tell NC WANTED that on August 23, 2008, Raven Abaroa married 25-year-old Vanessa Pond of Bluffdale, Utah. A reception is scheduled to take place at the home of the bride’s parents on September 6, 2008 from 6-9 p.m. in West Jordan, Utah.

Raven's late wife, Janet, was found stabbed to death in their Durham home on April 26, 2005. NC WANTED profiled Janet's murder, which remains unsolved, and sat down for an exclusive interview with Raven. (You can watch that interview by browsing the links in the gray sidebar at right.)
In that interview, Raven said he was at an indoor soccer game in Morrisville the night Janet was killed and he came home to find her body.
"Janet died that night. I wasn't there," he told NC WANTED.


SNIP - READ REST OF THE STORY HERE:


http://www.ncwanted.com/unsolved/story/3456426/?d_feature_story=1
 
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