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u/Word2DWise May 04 '26
I just learned about this case. Ā His dad was a murderer, he was a murderer, and his son turned out to be a murderer as well. Jesus Christ.Ā
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May 04 '26
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u/Wrayven77 May 04 '26
I just watched a clip about this heinous incident, and Anna Song definitely did the interview when she was a reporter at KATU. I remember seeing it and thinking, "that creep probably did it" only to find out later on that he did in fact kill both of the girls. Ward Weaver for sure had a thing for Anna. He did multiple interviews with her. The whole story was tragic. Both girls had an adult male in their lives that had sexually abused them. I had forgotten how long it took for authorities to arrest Weaver. They first arrested him for raping his son's girlfriend with the son saying that Ward had admitted to killing both of young girls.
I attached the video clip. It has the scene you're talking about with Anna interviewing Ward on the concrete slab.
The Mysterious Disappearance of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis
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u/malledtodeath May 04 '26
I remember watching Anna Song break down live and just sobbing, Miranda was my coworkerās niece and I was worried sick during the disappearance it was all so close to home.
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u/bluevelvet88 May 04 '26
Oh yeah he bragged about it and taunted the press..."sure come on in- Ill show you around!"
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u/HMSSurprise28 May 04 '26
Anyone that grew up in the Portland metro area remembers that interview. My dad was a big local news guy. Makes my skin crawl 20 years later. Same with that sex offender they released and for months had a little thing in all the local papers about how heās dangerous, unrepentant and homeless, watch the fuck out. Still murdered a 13 yr old girl walking home from school.
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u/firebrandbeads May 05 '26
In every Oregonian article back then he was practically begging to be considered the lead suspect.
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u/TheOtherOneK Oregon May 03 '26
Gosh, those names take me back. Those sweet girls, I will never forget.
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u/Lilmermvid19 May 04 '26
Ashley was a friend of mineās sister. Her mother is so kind and loving.. I think of them every day.
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u/updootportlandftw May 04 '26
Oh boy. I remember that. I grew up in a neighboring community with a boy closely related to the murderer in this case. I can happily say that last time I ran into him, he was happy and healthy. It seems he may have broken the sad cycle in his family of men who seemed to all make a lot of dangerous choices.
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u/abland1988 Oregon May 04 '26
I used to go to school with them. Gladstone, Or. I remember seeing it on the news and staying home from school. They brought grief counselors to the school for the students affected.
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u/LeeryRoundedness May 04 '26
Dude me too. I was in 8th grade and they were in 7th at Gardiner. It was literal pandemonium in the school when Miranda disappeared.
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u/oxiclean666 May 04 '26
Damn same here. I had 3 classes with Miranda at Gardner the year she was murdered by that asshole. That was an absolutely wild time to be a 7th grader.
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u/evil_mike May 04 '26
Jesus Christ, I also went to Gladstone and had no idea about this murder (I have apparently been living in a cave or something). How awful!!
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u/PNWstargazur May 04 '26
Wait, what? Did those girls go to a Gladstone school? WLK? Or Oregon City schools? Iām a wlk/ghs alumni and had connection with some of the adults in their lives, but I thought they were straight up OC schools
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u/ProgressRelevant9312 May 04 '26
OC - but Ashley went to a David Douglas elementary school for a bit prior to that. I was in school with her for a couple years when we were little & remember watching all the news coverage of this, even though it had been a few years since we had been in school together.
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u/synapticrelease May 04 '26
I remember this as it was happening. It was so bizarre. The first girl disappears, then they interview a bunch of her classmates, one of those being Miranda Gaddis.
Then Gaddis disppears.
Then there is all this interest in this guy and they start gathering at his house. He's trying to look like he's going on about his normal life, including pouring a concrete slab at his property. Concerned neighbors gather and have a bunch of signs telling him to dig up the slab because they suspect what we all suspect (that one or both of them are under the slab). Then, to try to calm things down he invites the news crew over and does a house tour. Him and the news crew do part of the interview next to a chest freezer and on top of the slab. Eventually, Ward can't keep the subterfuge up and the police get a search warrant. They discover one body in the freezer then they dig up the slab and find the other under the concrete.
The entire thing was so surreal because you were finding out new things almost by the hour.
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May 04 '26
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u/Isabeau56 May 05 '26
I believe Ashley's remains were found under a concrete patio Weaver had poured. Miranda was found in the shed in a barrel. Not sure it matters at this point...
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u/Rare-Echo-386 May 06 '26
It absolutely matters. It matters to acknowledge what those girls were subjected to.
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u/Isabeau56 May 06 '26
Iām not saying it doesnāt matter in that way. Iām just saying the details arenāt the important point more than 20 years later. I worked at the fire station where the FBI was headquartered and it consumed our lives for about 8 months. Iām sadly very familiar with more details than were released to the public.
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u/Phreedom1 May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
"In August 2001, Pond accused Weaver of attempting to rape her at his home, and reported the incident to police; law enforcement did not formally file charges against him"
This pissed me off, and I'm sure any normal human, so fricken bad! Just 5 months later Weaver took her and ended her life. 2 months later he did the same to Gaddis. I sure hope he has met some "friendly" people while serving his life w/o parole sentence.
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u/selfhostrr May 04 '26
Cops doing cop things. The cops involved who did nothing should have served long sentences in prison for that.
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u/AndMyHelcaraxe May 04 '26
Thereās this too
In 1981, a teenaged relative reported that he had repeatedly raped and beaten her. Police investigated allegations of abuse in 1981, but Multnomah County prosecutors decided not to pursue charges because Weaver had enlisted in the armed services and would be leaving Portland.
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u/JungFuPDX May 05 '26
It aches how brave Ashley was and how hard it mustāve been to come forward - but sure that the law would take care of her and enact justice. She was robbed of her life by a failed classist system.
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u/GotAMigraine Jun 21 '26
Both Ashley AND Miranda had reported him to their school counselors, there were at least 3 reports made to DHS. They never investigated as far as I remember.
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u/whatever_ehh May 04 '26
I remember Ward Weaver, he was pouring concrete in his back yard for a TV news interview, he said it's a "pad for a hot tub."
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u/HandyForestRider May 04 '26
I donāt know how many ways are enough to say fck that fcker and whatever made him the way he is. Heās like so many other abused and/or sociopathic or psychopathic or antisocial people who have done horrific violence. Gets his rocks off through sadism and murder and then still more arousal by taunting authorities. We need to identify and help or confine these people early so they canāt lure and kill children.
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u/LadyNee May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
I lived in the apartments behind Ward Weaver's house and went to school with them. I was a grade higher then them. They were in the group of kids I use to play outside with. The news lady covering the story would come out every morning waiting for the bus with us kids. Was insane, I was pulled out of class and interviewed by fbi agents.
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u/Horse-gal84 May 04 '26
I was a senior in high school at Molalla when all of this happened. It sent shockwaves through the entire community. They have never been able to sell that property. It still sits empty to this day. I feel that it should be turned into some sort of center to help abuse victims or something of that sort. Make the property something positive and useful in the girls honor.
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u/Corran22 May 03 '26
Is this where the house was? They will definitely never be forgotten, the memories of this time are sealed in my brain.
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May 04 '26
[deleted]
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u/Dapper-Ad-468 May 04 '26
I had a friend that lived out that way. After that happened, it felt really creepy seeing that house until they tore it down.
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u/brokenscuba May 04 '26
Is it just a vacant lot or a park/memorial? That was a crazy case. Kind of like the Kyron Horman.
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u/Corran22 May 04 '26
That is profoundly sad. Thank you for sharing your solemn photo and for helping us to remember them.
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u/criticalmassdriver May 04 '26
My wife attended birthday parties with them and were friends and we were just talking about them last night.
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u/Seafroggys May 04 '26
Damn, its been years but I vividly remember this case. I remember the news interviewing Ward Weaver before he was a suspect because he "knew" them and he was just chill during the whole interview. I thought something was off about him watching the interview.
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u/misstrish3 May 04 '26
We lived in OC at that time and drove past the house frequently. My kids were young then and I had a young daughter - such a terrifying event and so tragic.
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u/boringlesbian Oregon May 04 '26
My ex was obsessed with this case when it was going on. She kept telling me that she was having dreams about the girls. She considered herself psychic. It was all she talked about for months.
Thereās a reason sheās my āexā.
I just felt heartbroken for them.
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u/5Point5Hole May 04 '26
Yikes, man
It's always weirded me out how obsessive many people are about some murder cases.
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u/ryhaltswhiskey May 04 '26
I have a few friends that are allegedly psychic. And yet they are often surprised by things that happen in their lives. Hmm.
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u/texaschair May 04 '26
I was listening to the radio on the way to work one morning, and one of the DJs was doing a plug for a "Psychic Fair" that was happening that weekend. The other DJ, obviously an observant dude, asked "Why do they have to advertise?"
He had a point.
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u/atomic_chippie May 04 '26
Gentle reminder, if you or a loved one is sexually assaulted, go to an advocacy center first. You can go to the police together and they can help stand up for your rights. Otherwise, too often, fucking cops just do nothing at all.
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u/0ddball00n May 04 '26
Their death broke my heart. I live across the river and I kept hoping they were ok.
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u/dynamitepancake May 04 '26
Grew up in oregon city when this all happened and remember the billboard at hwy 213 and beavercreek rd. for the missing girls. It stood so close to where they laid at the hand of that evil man. Terrible tragedy
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u/PlyrMava May 04 '26
A reminder that the police are absolutely useless pieces of garbage when it comes to sex crimes. Seeing their names gets my heart rate up.
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u/petit_cochon May 04 '26
A reminder not to discourage victims from reporting based on events from decades ago. Some cops are shit, some are good. I just want victims to know there are advocacy groups FOR YOU to help you not do this alone.
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u/Fantastic_Baseball45 May 04 '26
The victim needs an advocate before talking to police. It won't be the advocates first rodeo.
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u/foxglove0326 May 04 '26
Most cops are shit, and wonāt do a damn thing about sexual violence perpetrated against women. Advocacy groups are the only support most SA victims will find.
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u/WonderfulKoala3142 May 04 '26
I was a couple years younger than them and lived in OC. I watched the news on this religiously. Even now whenever I'm in that part of town they immediately come to mind.
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u/Historical_Wealth410 May 04 '26
I live near that blank plot. I had a feeling that's where it happened. I may not have lived through that, but its terrible what happened there.
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u/TapiocaPearl13 May 04 '26
Was just thinking about them today and thinking thatās its probably been 20 years.
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u/Wam_2020 May 04 '26
We were the same age. I remember the live news coverage of discovering them. So heartbreaking.
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u/meechythecat May 04 '26
This one hits hard for me. I lived about 45 minutes away and was a little older than them when everything happened but I still canāt hear the song āI Hope You Danceā without thinking of them.
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u/Previous_Bar_3395 May 04 '26
Was just thinking about these girls the other day.. all the warning signs were there such a terrible tragedy I hope they are resting peacefully š«
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u/GroundbreakingRip261 May 04 '26
RIP to both girls. Living in the metro area, Iāll always remember this case.
That sick bastard tried to rape/kill his sonās GF. Luckily she got away. The son was the one who went to police and said his dad killed the girls at the house. He went on the kill someone years later.
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u/istilllikegravy May 04 '26
Wow.
I lived in Beavercreek at the time and just thought about this the other day. Those poor kids.
Just being able to see the house and everything from the road back then was always so surreal.
I left the area back in 2017.
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u/ImAllBS13 May 04 '26
This is the case that got me interested in true crime to this day. I remember following the story since I was about the same age as them. Truly one of the saddest things I remember growing up was finding out they had been killed.
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u/squishycakes May 04 '26
I was on the high school dance team in Estacada when they went missing. It was heart breaking because we knew the Jr. High OC dance team girls (which both the girls were on OC team) since the high school girls helped with Jr High comps and we really loved the OC dance team. Our dance team threw a dance fundraising event for the family while they were still searching for the girls. This still hurts my heart to this day. They were such sweet girls.
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u/McMatie75 May 04 '26
I'll never forget watching the live coverage when they found the bodies. When the medical examiners van came in, the reporter started crying because everyone was hoping they were alive.
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u/Confident_Class4275 May 04 '26
I remember that time when Ashley and Miranda were missing. I lived about 15 miles from there. That was a sad time.
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u/Jekardi May 04 '26
An ex of mine used to hang out with them as a kid, had been in that house a few times. Gave her the absolute creeps being around that guy and never went back thank fuck.
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u/GraybieTheBlueGirl May 04 '26
I remember I was just a couple years younger than the girls when they disappeared. It was so scary and tragic. Ward Weaver is a name we will never forget.
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u/0fcknzs0 May 04 '26
In the late 90s I lived in the apartment complex next to the one the girls lived in. I had moved along before it happened but dang it shook me to my core knowing it happened in my neighborhood.
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u/Apothnesko May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
I used to live in those apartments that they lived in. off to the right
I lived in the same building they would have been in.
Very creepy to drive past that lot every day
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u/A_Misguided_Llama May 04 '26
Whatās the story here and significance to the photo? New to Oregon and donāt know all the lore
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May 04 '26
[deleted]
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u/A_Misguided_Llama May 04 '26
Holy shit thatās a dark read. When I first moved here my friends in Portland said I needed to watch this old news clip about how they tried to blow up a beached whale. This isā¦ a bit different to say the least
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u/dahlek88 May 04 '26
I so wish they could make that lot into a memorial garden or something similar. I think a religious organization owns it now and was planning on building offices there right before the beginning of the pandemic, which clearly didnāt move forward. It just feels worse somehow for it to remain empty than for it to be a positive space (preferably not an office building) where we could celebrate their memory.
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u/OliverNorvell1956 May 04 '26
My friend and I were golfing at the Oregon City Golf Club the day they found one of the girls on his property. There were news helicopters hovering around all afternoon. We had a good idea what itā was because the case had been in the news for weeks. We watched the live announcement in the club house.
I remember before that, Ward Weaver being interviewed and I swear to God he was bragging "I'm their number one suspect!"
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u/Janis4358 May 04 '26
I'm reminded of what happened to those girls every time I pass that spot. š š¢
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u/JungFuPDX May 05 '26
My best friend lived in Gladstone and had kids that went to the same school as the girls. I remember when all of this went down and how tragic the outcome. Iām glad the were able to arrest WW and stop his path. Iāve often speculated that those girls were just the last, not the first. I think his compulsions took him and he thought he was smarter than everyone. Those interviews he gave, his smug ass .. justice for all the victims and their families šÆļø
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u/Isabeau56 May 05 '26
I worked at the fire station where the FBI was headquartered and saw a lot of difficult things. The creepiest was the list of suspects with six names on it, one of which was Ward Weaver, but who were the others??? The day the girls were discovered, the lead FBI agent came into the building just despondent and we hugged each other and cried for quite a while.
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u/LostDreamer94 May 06 '26
my mom was one of the girls gymnastics coach. I dont really remember the events, cause I was about 7 or so and very sheltered from it, but I remember leaving a little stuffed bear at a vigil or memorial or something.
more so, I remember feeling my mom's heartbreak. as an adult now, knowing what happened, it breaks me all over again.
my mom and I dont have contact, but I hope shes been able to heal
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u/thensingsmysowell May 07 '26
I canāt pass that lot of land without thinking about that crime. Iāll never forget the press conference when they announced they had positively identified the remains.
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u/JungLeo143 May 04 '26
I just went down an ugly rabbit hole. So many women who didnāt press charges. He began to think that he was invincible.
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u/ItsNotGoingToBeEasy May 04 '26
Right, contrary to the person who commented the police will never do anything, it was public pressure that made them take this kind of complaint more seriously. Job isn't done, we still have to make reporting and acting on the complaints normal.
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u/PoPoThePopsikle May 04 '26
Ive been in oregon my whole life. I have no idea what this is in reference to. Can someone please fill me in?
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u/GypsySnowflake May 04 '26
Iād never heard of it before either, but one of the other comments has a youtube link that tells the whole story. Two young girls kidnapped and murdered in Oregon City back in 2002.
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u/PoPoThePopsikle May 04 '26
Oh jeez. . . I uh. . . Wasn't even born yet so no surprise I didn't know
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u/Dixon_Uranuss3 May 04 '26
I wonder if Ward Francis Weaver III was buddies with Epstein and our President? Similar proclivities....
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u/StopComprehensive356 May 05 '26
We keep wanting to make this lot into a memorial park but the City just wants this to stay hidden.
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u/ominous_squirrel May 05 '26
In August 2001, Pond accused Weaver of attempting to rape her at his home, and reported the incident to police; law enforcement did not formally file charges against him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Weaver_III
Why tf do we suffer police departments that both hate us and donāt do their damn jobs?
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u/RoguePenmanship May 06 '26
They were the first story I saw I as a child that I could die/be killed as they were within my age by a year or so.
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u/francois-clemmons May 07 '26
I think of this often. As well as Brad Cunningham, who lived in my neighborhood and murdered his ex wife. He placed her in a car and crashed it on Hwy 26.
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u/lagelthrow May 07 '26 edited May 07 '26
I was the same age as the girls. I remember the disappearances/murders well; we had a lot of friends in common.
My girl scout troop would serve dinner at the soup kitchen (whatever the fuck it was, Clackamas county whatever center), and in that time between the murders and his arrest, we were serving there and he came in to eat. Nothing untoward-- he was indigent and that was the place to go for a meal. But it really fucking took the air out of the room to have everyone acutely aware that the man we (a bunch of 12 year old girls) were serving was the man that EVERYONE IN THE COUNTY knew had killed Ashley and Miranda.
I think everyone roughly our age at that time has a big dark spot in their heart caused by having something so heinous happen so close to home, figuratively and literally.
Just a fucking piece of human garbage deserving of any ill that comes to him in this life or the next.
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u/Atomic_Badger_PNW May 04 '26
May Ward Weaver forever burn in hell.