CO CO - Roger Ellison, 17, Cedaredge, 10 Feb 1981 #2

[Danaya]

I have been a follower of this thread since it began, and intrigued by the whole case for even longer than that. If someone could grant me a wish, where one case on Websleuths could be magically solved, I would pick Roger's. I don't know what it is exactly, there is just something about his face and story, that makes me so sad for him and his family. I just moved to CO last summer because of a work opportunity. One of the first things I did was Google how close my new home would be to Cedaredge, turns out I would be just on the other side of the Mesa! I think of Roger probably on a daily basis, because there are so many things that just come up in my daily life that make me reflect on him. Went skiing at Powderhorn a couple of times this winter, which made me sad because that was likely Roger's "home" ski hill. Just the other day, I had a patient at work from Cedaredge, Roger's age...was difficult not to ask her if she might have known Roger, but I didn't want to creep her out!

I am planning on going to Cedaredge this Saturday, as we will be doing some hiking on the Mesa. I've gone there before, but it was a Sunday, and the thrift store that currently operates out of Pash's house (of all places!) was closed, and obviously I must get in there! I was going to take pictures, just for my own curiousity/obsession...thought my fellow "SLEUTHIES" might be interested in that sort of thing, as well!

Welcome! :wave: Pictures would be great. I would love to see the thrift store.

 

[msmithca858]

Of course the old high school is now a charter/elementary school I had read. In addition, it underwent major renovation and even the entry he disappeared from is no longer there. In a post way back in this thread you will find a great photo and drawing showing what it looked like then and how it looks today.

 

[Satch]

Of course the old high school is now a charter/elementary school I had read. In addition, it underwent major renovation and even the entry he disappeared from is no longer there. In a post way back in this thread you will find a great photo and drawing showing what it looked like then and how it looks today.

Greetings,

I wish we could get some Internet archives regarding a floor plan of the high school from 1981. Unfortunately, I don't think it would show doors, but we could see the basement where Roger was last seen at his locker and the distances he might have walked each day. Knowing his class schedule, especially what he had first hour would be helpful. I would also like to see the exterior of the school. Was it surrounded by trees at the time, or a very open and airy environment? I am trying to think how easy it would be for a student to leave the grounds and not be noticed? There were certainly no cameras back than, or security systems. If there was, and students activities were monitored, we could have seen so many things back than. Knowledge could have included, but not be limited to the following:

Inside the school: (Inside Camera)

Roger talking to anyone that morning
Roger at his locker
Where Roger walked after he said to Mitch, "See you in class?"

Outside the school: (Outside Camera)

Roger communicating with anyone outside the school.
Any cars that Roger might have entered. The people that might have exited the school with him.

Satch

 

[pitkrew]

I'm not sure if this has been previously posted but it's a good timeline.
https://findrogerellison.wordpress.com/inside-a-reporters-notebook/.

I'm originally from the cedaredge/eckert area. I stumbled upon this case on here and remembered (vaguely) this Story. I was only 9 in 1981 but remember people talking about it at the time. I didn't attend the same high school as Roger. Like most people who live in that area, we spent a lot of time on grand Mesa. My next door neighbor was Mitch, didn't know him really as there was that big age difference but knew the family. I've been picking my parents' brains to see what they remember about this mystery. Unfortunately, not much. The many, many years have faded everyone's memories. I would love to go back to that area, take pics, and see the area again and learn more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[msmithca858]

I don't know if anyone ever mentioned the idea that, rather than Roger leaving with a stranger (he was supposedly seen speaking two identified men... but not sure if it was on that day or another time)... perhaps explore the idea that another student(s) were responsible for his disappearance. They would have not drawn attention, Roger would not be on guard. Be interesting if another other classmates were reported absent that day. As for motive... well, that has been up in the air since day one.

 

[Jbrown324320]

I read this thread a year or so ago. I can't believe Mr Pash, or someone pretending to be Mr Pash posted. wow. What if the deathbed confession is true, they killed him that day and waited for the ground to thaw to dig a hole for him. It is true that some sort of bone should have been found by now by animals. He could have been buried deep.

 

[TruthPursuer]

Thanks for your answer. To speculate further, do you think he was killed by someone he knew? By a peer? By someone older? Or by someone more distant, who sought the main chance and took it -- someone he knew but, tragically, did not know well enough.

Sorry everyone - didn't mean to disappear from the thread like that. I was asked to handle some details prior to further postings. I am now able to proceed.

Wfgodot, I have no idea if he was killed by anyone he knew. I do, however, believe he left the school with someone he knew on the morning/day he disappeared. Roger was kind of on the introverted side of the spectrum and I don't think he would have left with someone he didn't know.

When you say peer I assume you mean a classmate. I don't think that is what happened but I suppose it's possible. My main reason is that I'm sure anyone not present that morning/day would have been interviewed by LE. If not, they should have been. Our class had only 40-50 students. He was really close with only a few of them. We were all gearing up for our final push to graduation in late spring. An event we had all looked forward to for a long time.

Someone older - I would say that's a little more likely. People that were 1-4 or 5 years ahead of us (alumni) were people that many of us recognized and were frequently around the school at random times for various reasons.

Someone more distant - that would, to me, possibly be the people from his "ski racing" world. I think that is even more likely except for one big, nagging issue. I don't think anyone like that would try that at school, before classes, on a typical school day, in the middle of the week. At some other place and some other time - more likely, but not at school. I truly believe someone from school would have seen that, recognized it as unusual (ie-talking/meeting with someone that nobody recognized, especially on the day he disappeared), and reported it.

My guess is he left with someone he knew - possibly with a peer but more likely a little older. The real question to me, however, is if that is what happened, that does not neccessarily mean that is the person responsible for his permanent disappearance. How did he end up with THAT person - unless, of course, they are the same person.

This is all speculation on my part but based in part on the circumstances at the time - ie, his personality, class sizes, school access, etc.

Welcome! :wave: Pictures would be great. I would love to see the thrift store.

 

[TruthPursuer]

I have been a follower of this thread since it began, and intrigued by the whole case for even longer than that. If someone could grant me a wish, where one case on Websleuths could be magically solved, I would pick Roger's. I don't know what it is exactly, there is just something about his face and story, that makes me so sad for him and his family. I just moved to CO last summer because of a work opportunity. One of the first things I did was Google how close my new home would be to Cedaredge, turns out I would be just on the other side of the Mesa! I think of Roger probably on a daily basis, because there are so many things that just come up in my daily life that make me reflect on him. Went skiing at Powderhorn a couple of times this winter, which made me sad because that was likely Roger's "home" ski hill. Just the other day, I had a patient at work from Cedaredge, Roger's age...was difficult not to ask her if she might have known Roger, but I didn't want to creep her out!

I am planning on going to Cedaredge this Saturday, as we will be doing some hiking on the Mesa. I've gone there before, but it was a Sunday, and the thrift store that currently operates out of Pash's house (of all places!) was closed, and obviously I must get in there! I was going to take pictures, just for my own curiousity/obsession...thought my fellow "SLEUTHIES" might be interested in that sort of thing, as well!

You must be located somewhere between Grand Junction and Rifle I would guess. Beautiful country. I don't know whether they called it a "home hill" in the ski racing world but, yes, Powderhorn is where Roger did most of his recreational skiing and I assume his training. In fact, I vaguely remember someone (on this forum I think) mentioning his ski coach at Powderhorn. Yes, he was there a lot. The ski races themselves, similar to most sports, we're probably held all over western Colorado. He mentioned other ski areas quite often as well such as Telluride, Aspen, Vail, and Steamboat.

 

[mistagee]

Any credence to that he may have left to consume some drugs with someone in their car and he died of an overdose and they hid his body to avoid detection? Its got to be that or the 2 men who lured him out. He was so into skiing that perhaps someone from the skiing world lured him out.

 

[msmithca858]

There was never any evidence that he was a drug user, rumors that he smoked some marijuana on occasion were heard. I believe, according to statements from ski coach and sister, he was too focused on ski competition to be involved with hard drugs.
Naturally, due to his age and being the 80's speculation about his disappearance have centered around drugs, perhaps he was aware of something concerning drug deals, etc. but I have always had a gut feeling there something else in play here... but what?

 

[Satch]

As a community,

Have we reached a general consensus that whatever happened to Roger occurred off school grounds? I think this. Roger had to take care of something very important upon arriving to school that day, anticipating that he would be back in a few minutes. I believe that the reason why Roger left is because of the person he had to see, or the information that he or they had.

The problem is that information got into the wrong hands, and the people involved did not want Roger knowing that information so he was killed. However, outside of drugs, or serious relationship with a girl, or revelation of being gay, how much of these elements would be strong enough that the persons involved would have to murder Roger because of those things? This had to be something so serious and awful, but the question is, what did Roger know? What could that information have been? If he was kidnapped and killed, it would seem to almost have to be one of those three things.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line analogy seems to apply if Roger was gay and rumors in the small town community started to surface. Roger could not take that, so he had to leave and never come back. But than, LE would not be so insistent that "we believe Roger was killed, likely be someone he knew." He could have directly or indirectly hooked up with an out-of-towner during one of his skiing competitions. Somehow, Roger trusted this person with information, and this person either was not trustworthy, or a third party did not want Roger knowing what he knew. When you think about it, the persons' involved could have been out of town or community locals. Regardless, someone knows something, and has never revealed the whole story of what happened to Roger.

Satch

 

[msmithca858]

The only other thought, and it may be far-fetched, is he knew something or someone involved with child *advertiser censored*. Now, think back to that time... Johnny Gosch and Eugene Martin both paperboys who disappeared from AZ, in Gosch's case there were witnesses who saw two men take him right off the street and bundle him into a van. John Gacy was murdering boys in Chicago and the serial killer in Texas who tortured and murdered 20+ young men and boys. Rumors were rampant of boys being held at a ranch in Wyoming to be used by their pimps. Now, I don't suggest that anyone was murdering teenage boys in Cedaredge, but a small town teenage *advertiser censored* operation... video camera were readily available and such an operation would have been possible. While I do not believe that Mr. Pash was involved in his murder, there were a few accusations by students’ years later or drug, drinking and underage sex parties at his home. Most small towns are version or Peyton Place.

 

[Picachu]

I have not yet read the whole previous thread that was closed as there were so many pages (almost 30), but I wonder if there was ever any explanation given why the authorities decided to not dig up the concrete floor under the garage of the suspect's home after that suspect had moved out, despite them having found "some anomalies" when they investigated it with ground penetrating radar?
I found that really odd, as the garage after all belonged to the home of the person they suspected to be responsible for Roger's disappearance.

 

[msmithca858]

That question was addresses in several posts in the past... while no explanation was ever offered by LE, it could be the cost, the necessity of obtaining a warrant, etc. The property now is a Thrift Store and prior to that the County Coroner lived in the residence and I have to believe that if they had reasonable cause they would have done so by now. Mr. Pash, who posted at length in these pages seems to believe that Roger left of his own accord, not sure what he bases that on, other than the supposed life conflict Roger was having as evidenced by the mysterious school assignment he turned in. Would love for LE to release that homework assignment and have experts give their opinion.

 

[dogperson]

Mr. Pash said he was told by LE to keep the contents of the school assignment to himself, but after this many years, is he really bound by that?

 

[Picachu]

Okay, thanks for the explanation. In many missing person cases, law enforcement seems almost outrageously lax in not exhausting every possibility, which I do not find befitting when considering the poor loved ones who really needs answers. :/

He left by his own accord, he say? Hmmm....I am sceptical, although I am far from an expert on the case and need to investigate it further. However each time an attractive young male goes missing in a very sudden way like this I nowadays almost more often than not assume that someone lured him off somewhere and took some unappreciated liberties, so to speak.:/

 

[msmithca858]

I agree, the early 80's seemed to have a more than a fair share of predators targeting young (and not so young) males. Cedaredge is a small town (2800 I think) so I dont think it likely it was someone from the locality... no one can keep a secret in such Payton Place surroundings. The LE continue to state he was murdered soon after he disappeared, probably by someone he knew.. I get the feeling they know more than they releasing... even after all this time. I am sure his sister and brothers would like some closure.

 

[TroyinTX]

The only other thought, and it may be far-fetched, is he knew something or someone involved with child *advertiser censored*. Now, think back to that time... Johnny Gosch and Eugene Martin both paperboys who disappeared from AZ, in Gosch's case there were witnesses who saw two men take him right off the street and bundle him into a van. John Gacy was murdering boys in Chicago and the serial killer in Texas who tortured and murdered 20+ young men and boys. Rumors were rampant of boys being held at a ranch in Wyoming to be used by their pimps. Now, I don't suggest that anyone was murdering teenage boys in Cedaredge, but a small town teenage *advertiser censored* operation... video camera were readily available and such an operation would have been possible. While I do not believe that Mr. Pash was involved in his murder, there were a few accusations by students’ years later or drug, drinking and underage sex parties at his home. Most small towns are version or Peyton Place.

Johnny and Eugene actually vanished from Des Moines, Iowa.

 

[msmithca858]

Bumping for Roger and prayers for his family

 

[Danaya]

Bumping for Roger.