They finally found the remains of Brooke Wilberger today. For those of you who live outside of Oregon, Brooke was the woman abducted May 24th, 2004 in Corvallis, Oregon right outside of the Oregon State University campus. I lived about two blocks from where it happened, and my husband was literally walking right by there when she was taken.
Today, over five years later, they have finally found her body. Some psycho took her at knife point and raped and killed her. While they have had him in custody for a while now (he tried to abduct and rape another girl in New Mexico but she got away and was able to identify him - they found Brooke's DNA in his van) the bastard has refused to disclose the whereabouts of the body until now. He made a deal to tell what happened and where he left her to get out of the death penalty.
I have mixed emotions. I have thought about Brooke often since she was abducted. She was beautiful, young, a college student, she had a family and a boyfriend. I knew Brooke was dead, but the whole situation was so close to home. I thought often "That could have been ME..." It could have been one of my friends. It happened on my campus, next to where I live. The next year, I moved into the apartment building next to where she was abducted. Since that day, I have always been more cautious, more aware, and also more afraid. I have run images over and over in my mind - how would I react, how would I fight back, if it HAD been me, if it ever IS me. My parents' best friend is a homicide detective, and he schooled me well on how to react if someone tries to abduct me, so I have imagined repeatedly what I would do.
I am glad she is finally found. Now her family truly knows what happened to her and can experience closure.
Brooke, if you can read up in Heaven, if you listen to prayers sent up for you, I hope you finally find peace. I pray that God is holding you in His arms, comforting you, and that you are experiencing joy beyond what you ever knew in your earthly life. Know that hundreds of people have cared about your story, and will continue to remember you. Rest in Peace.
So touching Katie... I too think of her often. That was so hard on so many of us. So sad, but she is in a much better place now.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad she's been found. I volunteered for the search parties, and always came home nearly in tears that she hadn't been found. I'm glad her family can have some closure now. How did we live in the same apartment complex and not know it? I moved in there the next year too!
ReplyDelete