Found Deceased OR - Wilma Acosta, 28, last seen at Dixie Tavern, phone found at Japanese American Historical Plaza, Portland, 26 Nov 2023

[starlightstarbright]

It’s almost like LE isn’t interested in finding her. I wonder why?

 

[Protectwomenandgirls]

It’s almost like LE isn’t interested in finding her. I wonder why?

Same. No known searches of the river is especially concerning IMO

 

[caradana]

if she is in the water, and I believe, MOO that she sadly is - nature and biochemistry tend to have a predictable way of returning remains to surface. Will not be surprised if this happens in the coming days.

 

[Dargon335]

It's been suggested in a couple of MSM reports that Wilma may have been suicidal at some point in the past. For example:

Portland police searching for missing, endangered woman

[...]
She has reportedly had suicidal ideations in the past and has a history of depression.
[...]

There's no mention of how long ago Wilma may have been suicidal or depressed. Was it recently or perhaps years ago?

AFAIK there have been no reports from her friends or other witnesses indicating Wilma was either depressed or suicidal that night at the Dixie Tavern. She also reportedly stayed until closing time in order to get an employment application.

I'm not a MH professional but would that type of decision making be consistent with someone who is suicidal or depressed?

 

[Knox]

The Portland Police Bureau does not suspect foul play in the disappearance of Wilma Acosta, the 28-year-old woman who disappeared after leaving a bar in Old Town early Sunday, Nov. 26.

In two statements, police suggested she was suicidal and killed herself by jumping into the Willamette River near the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

“Ultimately, PPB’s evidence shows Wilma leaving the bar by herself and arriving at the seawall by herself. PPB detectives do not suspect foul play in Wilma’s disappearance. We hope Wilma’s family and friends are able to find closure soon,” PPB Public Information Manager Mike Benner said in a statement released on Friday, Dec. 15.

Members of Acosta’s family disagree. They do not believe she was suicidal, noting that she was employed, had a nice apartment, and had made plans for the future, including adopting a dog.

The family believes only one acquaintance told police Acosta could have committed suicide, and that person was wrong.

At the center of the disagreement are a series of surveillance vehicles taken by different businesses that show Acosta leaving the Dixie Tavern at Northwest Third and Couch, walking toward the park, and arriving near the seawall. A friend tracked her cell phone to the area later in the morning.

“Our detectives have spent more than 100 hours interviewing witnesses and examining footage from more than a dozen security cameras. The video shows Wilma leaving the Dixie Tavern by herself and walking to the seawall that borders the Willamette River. This is where Wilma’s cell phone was located. During her walk, it does not appear that Wilma engaged with any other people,” Brenner said in his Dec. 15 statement.

The family has shared copies they made of some videos with the Portland Tribune. One shows Acosta walking on a sidewalk toward the park. A man in a hooded sweatshirt crosses the street and arrives in front of her, pauses, looks back at her, then walks on shortly ahead of her. An SUV drives by in the same direction moments after the two walk off camera.

Police, family disagree over investigation into missing woman

The Portland Police Bureau does not suspect foul play in the disappearance of Wilma Acosta, the 28-year-old woman who disappeared after leaving a bar in Old Town early Sunday, Nov.

www.portlandtribune.com

 

[Dargon335]

Thanks @Knox for the MSM link.

So after reading this report it indicates that LE believes Wilma committed suicide by jumping into the Willamette River near the Japanese American Historical Plaza. Wilma's family and friends disagree with that scenario.

Police, family disagree over investigation into missing woman

[...]
At the center of the disagreement are a series of surveillance vehicles taken by different businesses that show Acosta leaving the Dixie Tavern at Northwest Third and Couch, walking toward the park, and arriving near the seawall. A friend tracked her cell phone to the area later in the morning.

“Our detectives have spent more than 100 hours interviewing witnesses and examining footage from more than a dozen security cameras. The video shows Wilma leaving the Dixie Tavern by herself and walking to the seawall that borders the Willamette River. This is where Wilma’s cell phone was located. During her walk, it does not appear that Wilma engaged with any other people,” Brenner said in his Dec. 15 statement.

Police declined to share the videos in their possession with the Portland Tribune.

Family members have viewed some of the videos at a number of businesses and disagree. They think Acosta was walking home because her apartment can be reached by crossing the Steel Bridge, which can be reached from the park. They believe the videos show Acosta was followed part of the way by at least two men. None show what happened in the park clearly.

The family has shared copies they made of some videos with the Portland Tribune. One shows Acosta walking on a sidewalk toward the park. A man in a hooded sweatshirt crosses the street and arrives in front of her, pauses, looks back at her, then walks on shortly ahead of her. An SUV drives by in the same direction moments after the two walk off camera.

“We believe Wilma was followed and could have been assaulted or abducted,” said her aunt, Shelby Watkins. Wilma could have dropped her camera in the park where it was found during a struggle, Watkins continued.
[...]

 

[Knox]

I'm always torn in cases like this one. I want to believe that PPD has done their due diligence in running down all leads. But the family insists they haven't done that. Is this a matter of A family (who could blame them) not wanting to face the possibility Wilma self-harmed? My heart goes out to them, they are traumatized and doing what they think will get results.

According to the article above, the family says "one acquaintance" told LE Wilma was suicidal. I think we know who that person is. But if not true, why say it? Sus as heck, because he also found her phone, jmo.

 

[vls12345]

So, if someone dies by suicide, LE don't look for the person? Like, <shrug>, she's in the river, hope you're making peace with it, family. (And I disagree that it may be self harm. It seems like there are suspicious enough circumstances to further warrant investigation. Moo.)

I'm thinking of the Gaynor Lord case in England. While I think LE thought it was self harm pretty early on, they looked continually until they found her in the river days later.

I do not understand LE in Wilma's case. Imo.

 

[azure]

So, if someone dies by suicide, LE don't look for the person? Like, <shrug>, she's in the river, hope you're making peace with it, family. (And I disagree that it may be self harm. It seems like there are suspicious enough circumstances to further warrant investigation. Moo.)

I'm thinking of the Gaynor Lord case in England. While I think LE thought it was self harm pretty early on, they looked continually until they found her in the river days later.

I do not understand LE in Wilma's case. Imo.

This seems to be now missing persons cases work in the US, and I'm not sure whether it's new. There is a small initial search, and then it's the family's job to keep looking or hire private agencies. I can remember cases going back to 2012 in large metropolitan areas where LE kind of shrugged their shoulders (Linnea Lomax). It happens even when foul play is suspected, as long as there isn't strong evidence pointing to a POI for arrest (Jessica Easterly Durning). Sadly this seems to be the way most of American LE handles missing persons.

 

[Gemmie]

Is there any info from the page that can be shared here for those of us who do not have FB accounts?

I don't have a FB acct either, @slowpoke, but it's apparently set to public as I was able to get in just fine. Did you try and it blocked you?

 

[Dargon335]

MOO, but it would be helpful to know Wilma's state of mind shortly before her disappearance, and especially during that time with friends at Dixie Tavern.

From what I've read so far, most of her friends indicate she did not give the appearance of being suicidal or depressed that evening. However, without actually knowing Wilma or being there that night, it's difficult to know with any certainty whether she was or was not having MH issues.

So, if someone dies by suicide, LE don't look for the person? Like, <shrug>, she's in the river, hope you're making peace with it, family.

I does seem a bit odd to me that LE would suggest Wilma jumped over the seawall and into the Willamette River without doing a search along the river. If LE has in fact searched the river and areas downstream then I missed that fact in the MSM reports.

 

[slowpoke]

I don't have a FB acct either, @slowpoke, but it's apparently set to public as I was able to get in just fine. Did you try and it blocked you?

Sometimes I can view the page, other times I cannot. Doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason. When I can’t, it just shows me a Log In page.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

I does seem a bit odd to me that LE would suggest Wilma jumped over the seawall and into the Willamette River without doing a search along the river. If LE has in fact searched the river and areas downstream then I missed that fact in the MSM reports.

When a person drowns they immediately sink, and the river is 45' to 69' deep here. The body will also be carried upriver while sinking and may continue to do so for +/- 4 to 6 days until decomposition gasses bring the body to the surface. The body could also get hung up on something and not resurface for a long time, if ever. Visibility is very poor in the river water, only 1 to 3 feet.

The Willamette is the 13th largest, by volume, river in the U.S.

So the body would not have been visible and there is no way to determine where to search in an immense body of moving water.
Hopefully, she has resurfaced and will eventually be seen, hopefully, the body hasn't made it to the Columbia River.

Willamette River nautical chart and water depth map

Willamette River nautical chart shows depths and hydrography on an interactive map. Explore depth map of , all important information

usa.fishermap.org

Nearly Every Week, a Body is Found in a Portland River. ...​

Willamette Week
https://www.wweek.com › news › 2017/09/13 › nearly-...



Sep 13, 2017 — In the past three years, river cops say, the Willamette and Columbia rivers have coughed up an average of 36 bodies a year.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

I’m not anti-police, I’m pro-police, I back the blue,” Lopez said. “Nothing against that. The woman out here, my sister, there needs to be more help out here.”

Lopez said he would have never thought he and his family would be in this situation, looking for his sister who just moved to Portland to start the next chapter in her life.

“It feels like anyone can be in this,” Lopez said. “You never know when to expect it or see it.”

“Someone stopped her from point A to Point B,” Lopez said. “She was on her way home. I know that. It’s just getting the proof of that. Let’s say they are accurate. I don’t see dive teams out to go under and search.”

Family of missing woman disputes PPB determination of no ‘foul play’

All around Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park near Old Town, missing person posters hang on light posts and trees with the name and face of 28-year-old Wilma Acosta.

www.kptv.com

 

[Protectwomenandgirls]

I think there should def be dive teams too, what is going on?

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

I don’t see dive teams out to go under and search.”

I think there should def be dive teams too, what is going on?

I posted about this once, about how difficult it is to search a large, deep river, with very limited visiblity. The water is moving, the body went down the river while sinking and during the time it was submerged. By the time it was even known she had probably gone into the river, there was no way to know where to look. Diving and searching with little visibility, with no starting point known, in an immense body of water is dangerous work and is very unlikely to find her.
I'm not a diver but have watched and assisted with looking for people missing in water, mostly rivers.

https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/willamette_river/​

https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/willamette_river/​

Willamette RiverThe Oregon Encyclopedia
https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org › articles › will...​

May 3, 2023 — The south-to-north-flowing Willamette is the thirteenth largest river in the contiguous United States, with an average annual discharge of ...

 

[Knox]

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Family and friends of Wilma Acosta, a 28-year-old woman who went missing nearly a month ago, met with community members Saturday to continue the search in downtown Portland.

On the night Acosta disappeared, Portland police say video captured her walking in Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park after leaving a bar in Old Town. It was the last place she was seen.

Saturday, a group of people took to the streets, including her family, who remain heartbroken while they continue their search for answers.

“Nightmares,” Michael Lopez, Acosta’s older brother, said. “It’s hard to sleep. Stomach twisting, you don’t know what to do. You feel helpless. You feel alone. She’s out there somewhere and she’s just not another statistic. She’s not just a random person.”

Family, community meet to continue search for woman missing in Old Town

Family and friends of Wilma Acosta, a 28-year-old woman who went missing nearly a month ago, met with community members Saturday to continue the search in downtown Portland.

www.kptv.com

I'm so sad for Wilma's family, I hope they find answers soon.

 

[Dargon335]

We still have no confirmed information regarding Wilma's MH around the time she disappeared.

Portland police searching for missing, endangered woman
[...]
She has reportedly had suicidal ideations in the past and has a history of depression.
[...]

MOO, but this could be a key piece of information. Was she depressed or suicidal recently, or was this from years ago? Was she seeing a MH specialist in recent months? So far we do not know the answers to these and similar questions.

If Wilma was in fact depressed or having some type of significant MH issues around the time she was last seen, then logic suggests it could make sense that she attempted suicide by jumping in the river. However, we don't know for a fact what her state of mind was that evening.

Media reports indicate her family claims she was not depressed or suicidal that evening.

Police, family disagree over investigation into missing woman
[...]
In two statements, police suggested she was suicidal and killed herself by jumping into the Willamette River near the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
[...]

[...]
Members of Acosta’s family disagree. They do not believe she was suicidal, noting that she was employed, had a nice apartment, and had made plans for the future, including adopting a dog. “She was a happy go lucky, go-getting,” said Acosta’s mother, who is also named Wilma. The family believes only one acquaintance told police Acosta could have committed suicide, and that person was wrong.
[...]

 

[Dargon335]

Another thought. If Wilma was exhibiting signs of depression or suicide leading up to this evening at Dixie's Tavern, would they have left her alone there?

 

[Knox]

Another thought. If Wilma was exhibiting signs of depression or suicide leading up to this evening at Dixie's Tavern, would they have left her alone there?

Same logic - would Wilma have stayed and not left with them - waiting until closing time to get a job application?