Found Deceased OR - Merrilee Cooley, 68, Clackamas, 27 Dec 2016

[steelman]

Who's Jensen?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Jensen was the police officer they interviewed on the video piece. He was also referred to in the article below the video, saying that the house wasn't ransacked as reported.

I suppose he is the designated spokesman on this particular case.

video here: His name will appear on the lower screen banner when he begins talking (approx. 1:00) .

http://www.kgw.com/news/clackamas-woman-missing-since-tuesday-family-says/380327112

 

[ssgtbam]

I live in this trailer park, the largest in the state. It is a family park, but mainly occupied by retired folks. We all own our own homes, and the park is actually a real city. We have a mayor and a city counsel, which Ms. Cooley was a member until a couple of years ago. The Public Information Officer for Clackamas County Sheriff's office is named Jensen. Many of us who live here and the next park up the road are a bit nervous about this murder as well as the double homicide that took place September 2015 (the Manager of that park and her fiance' were murdered in their home) and remains unsolved. In this case, law enforcement did not seem to think she was endangered at first, and her family came and stayed in the home when they found out she was missing. The park manager informed them that they could not stay there per our lease agreement without the tenant being present. That night is when the news showed that they had found her car, and law enforcement went and secured her home as a crime scene. The home is just off Roots Road and is fairly accessible. We do not have security, no cameras unless on the homes themselves, and it does not appear that her home had been secured while the family was staying there. There was, and still is, a great deal of confusion in our small community that does not have much crime, and many of the residents are widowed women living alone. It is hard not to imagine that these two homicides are not related, unless someone close committed the crimes independent of one another!

 

[LisaWL7TR]

I live in this trailer park, the largest in the state. It is a family park, but mainly occupied by retired folks. We all own our own homes, and the park is actually a real city. We have a mayor and a city counsel, which Ms. Cooley was a member until a couple of years ago. The Public Information Officer for Clackamas County Sheriff's office is named Jensen. Many of us who live here and the next park up the road are a bit nervous about this murder as well as the double homicide that took place September 2015 (the Manager of that park and her fiance' were murdered in their home) and remains unsolved. In this case, law enforcement did not seem to think she was endangered at first, and her family came and stayed in the home when they found out she was missing. The park manager informed them that they could not stay there per our lease agreement without the tenant being present. That night is when the news showed that they had found her car, and law enforcement went and secured her home as a crime scene. The home is just off Roots Road and is fairly accessible. We do not have security, no cameras unless on the homes themselves, and it does not appear that her home had been secured while the family was staying there. There was, and still is, a great deal of confusion in our small community that does not have much crime, and many of the residents are widowed women living alone. It is hard not to imagine that these two homicides are not related, unless someone close committed the crimes independent of one another!

Thanks for sharing.

I don't think if a family member of mine went missing I would want to come stay at their house. I would be afraid of going missing myself or if she came home...awkward?!?

Sadly, anything that may not have been important for a missing person that may be now for a murder could be gone with family coming in to stay.

I hope they find who did this to Merrilee.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I don't think this murder was done by anyone close to Merrilee including any of her family members or close friends. They all have to be reeling from this senseless murder and are greatly mourning their tremendous loss.

Imo, this was done by someone who knew this lady was a kind and giving person who was known to help anyone she could if they were in need. I think someone or some ones took advantage of that kindness.

It reminds me of a prior case where an elderly couple went missing from their home and their vehicle was also missing. At first it was a missing persons case like Merrilee's. They were both missing for sometime but they were both found murdered in a wooded area a far distance away from where they went missing. Anyway the murderer turned out to be a man who they had helped occasionally when he was down on his luck and he had done some minor repairs for them. Imo, he took them from the home killing them elsewhere so the police would believe they were just a missing elderly couple who may have gotten in their car and gotten lost due to them being elderly. Iirc his motivation for doing these horrific acts of murder was to get their vehicle. By not killing them in the home meant LE wouldn't find any evidence of foul play or murder. I think this is the same reason why Merrilee may have been taken away from her property to be murdered elsewhere.

Murderers often target the elderly due to the fact they are easy targets and easy to manage and control. Criminals now know taking credit cards can get them caught and arrested. I am sure they took whatever cash she may have had in her purse.

I wouldn't be surprised though if and when the murderer/s are caught (hopefully soon) if they are from the same mobile home park or have family members who live there. Or they may have been known to do maintenance, lawn care or repairs for those living there in the mobile home estate. Many elderly people get someone else to do those things since many can be unable to do them anymore and they have no idea of the background of these people they hire unless they are a licensed business person which is often not the case.. Many of these home invasions resulting in murder of those inside there was no forced entry. Elderly people still tend to be way too trusting of others they don't know or only know slightly or by sight. I agree with Steelman and it very well could have been done by a teen or a group of teens.

In the Georgia case last year the 83 year old lady who was brutally beaten and set on fire while alive didn't have a close personal relationship with any of the murderers and if iirc there were four or five of them including females who invaded her home. But she did know two of them since they had worked for her in the past when she paid them to pick blackberries on her farm. They also wound up getting little to nothing of value yet it did not stop them from doing torturous acts to this woman before they set her on fire leaving her for dead and she only lived for a few days before dying.

So in this case it also could involve females as well along with males since they are using females as bait in some of these home invasions because they know people will open up their door if a female is standing there pretending to need assistance about something.

Whoever did this to this defenseless giving wonderful human being I hope is found and arrested soon. Anyone capable of doing this to a person so fragile will do it again to anyone else even another elderly victim.

IMO

 

[Talullah]

Thanks for your insight ssgtbam!! It sounds like a great community.
I doubt Merrilee's son imagined this outcome. Perhaps he and his family wanted to be there when she came home. Their being there explains why LE said her home wasn't in disarray, contradicting her friends description of the home, since her son likely put things back in place.
I hope LE could obtain some valuable evidence with searches and interviews and are just being tight lipped with what they know.
It's my understanding the apartment complex where her car and body were found is large. I feel sure someone saw something. They may underestimate the importance. Residents noticed a strange car in a strange area.
I agree with other posters that think whoever did this wasn't a personal acquaintance of Merrilee's, but someone who observed her routine and knew she'd be an easy target. A transient wouldn't have left her car. This is a local or someone close to the area, who knew no one would think anything of a strange car being in this particular area. This person wanted money. I know reports say her credit cards were at home but I wonder if her debit card is missing.
In the case of Geraldine Davidson, she interrupted a burglary and ended up dead in a river. Her killers were teens, one of which lived nearby and had robbed Davidson before. They were caught because they drove around-in her car, her in the trunk, bragging to friends who eventually tipped off LE.
I think the resolution of this crime will happen because of a similar slip up. Impulsive young people make bad decisions.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Thanks for your insight ssgtbam!! It sounds like a great community.
I doubt Merrilee's son imagined this outcome. Perhaps he and his family wanted to be there when she came home. Their being there explains why LE said her home wasn't in disarray, contradicting her friends description of the home, since her son likely put things back in place.
I hope LE could obtain some valuable evidence with searches and interviews and are just being tight lipped with what they know.
It's my understanding the apartment complex where her car and body were found is large. I feel sure someone saw something. They may underestimate the importance. Residents noticed a strange car in a strange area.
I agree with other posters that think whoever did this wasn't a personal acquaintance of Merrilee's, but someone who observed her routine and knew she'd be an easy target. A transient wouldn't have left her car. This is a local or someone close to the area, who knew no one would think anything of a strange car being in this particular area. This person wanted money. I know reports say her credit cards were at home but I wonder if her debit card is missing.
In the case of Geraldine Davidson, she interrupted a burglary and ended up dead in a river. Her killers were teens, one of which lived nearby and had robbed Davidson before. They were caught because they drove around-in her car, her in the trunk, bragging to friends who eventually tipped off LE.
I think the resolution of this crime will happen because of a similar slip up. Impulsive young people make bad decisions.

I agree that it could very well involve young people and young criminals do like to talk about the horrific things they have done sometimes..

When I read what ssgtbam said about her family coming there to her home and were told to leave it made me feel very sad for them. They were already going through the extreme stress and trauma with knowing Merrilee was missing. I am sure they were hoping and praying she would return to her home safely, and they would want to be there to welcome her back home to show her how much they loved her and had been worried sick about her.

I know they mean well by implementing the rules and policies they do. It seems under these trying circumstances Merrilee's family was facing they could have made an allowance for that and allowed them to stay since she was missing. Her slipper found in the yard should have alarmed LE right away that something was amiss and her walker and wheelchair/purse also being inside of her home.

I can fully understand why LE would tell them they had to leave once her body had been found and when a SW was being conducted of her home.

LOL! I guess this is one of the reasons why we have never owned a home where someone else makes the rules. I do realize the homeowners are leasing the lot space for their mobile home when our home is on our own four acres we own. It still seems they could have made allowances due to the circumstances at the time. I am sure no one in the mobile home park would have objected to Merrilee's family coming to stay at her home and would understand that it wasn't something they usually did when she wasn't there. This was far from what normally happens.

Still hoping and praying they find out quickly who did this to Merrilee. Those in the park have to be worried and they will be until this is solved, understandably so.

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I am hoping they have found evidence in her vehicle including the trunk and its just taking time to get the forensics back from the lab. They may already suspect someone and just aren't mentioning it to make sure they don't alert him/her or them.

 

[La Louve]

I still think LE needs to be held accountable for not declaring a Silver Alert. I never heard back from KGW about that question.

 

[LisaWL7TR]

I agree that it could very well involve young people and young criminals do like to talk about the horrific things they have done sometimes..

When I read what ssgtbam said about her family coming there to her home and were told to leave it made me feel very sad for them. They were already going through the extreme stress and trauma with knowing Merrilee was missing. I am sure they were hoping and praying she would return to her home safely, and they would want to be there to welcome her back home to show her how much they loved her and had been worried sick about her.

I know they mean well by implementing the rules and policies they do. It seems under these trying circumstances Merrilee's family was facing they could have made an allowance for that and allowed them to stay since she was missing. Her slipper found in the yard should have alarmed LE right away that something was amiss and her walker and wheelchair/purse also being inside of her home.

I can fully understand why LE would tell them they had to leave once her body had been found and when a SW was being conducted of her home.

LOL! I guess this is one of the reasons why we have never owned a home where someone else makes the rules. I do realize the homeowners are leasing the lot space for their mobile home when our home is on our own four acres we own. It still seems they could have made allowances due to the circumstances at the time. I am sure no one in the mobile home park would have objected to Merrilee's family coming to stay at her home and would understand that it wasn't something they usually did when she wasn't there. This was far from what normally happens.

Still hoping and praying they find out quickly who did this to Merrilee. Those in the park have to be worried and they will be until this is solved, understandably so.

IMO

Oceanblueeyes, respectfully i have to disagree....
I thought about this a little longer...I feel two ways...if my family member had a key to my home that I provided then ok...well until LE may rule the home a possible crime scene.
But No, Nope...Not any family member coming to stay at my home...as my mom would be snooping and finding any and all dirt...whether relating to me going missing or not.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I still think LE needs to be held accountable for not declaring a Silver Alert. I never heard back from KGW about that question.

ITA, La!

LE cant just standby assuming anything when an elderly person goes missing with her personal contents still in her home. It irks me to think they didn't take this seriously at first. I do feel the silver alert wouldn't have helped to save Merrilee but they still should have been one out immediately. She was probably dead before they even knew she was missing since that is what usually happened. But LE didn't know that.

Don't they do a silver alert for those who have dementia or other mental disabilities? No one knows what happened until the victim is found dead or alive so LE must do all they can immediately to find any missing person. They must always think of all possibilities including she may have been taken from her home against her will. All the signs there showed something wasn't right and they should have picked up on that right away.

They didn't have a silver alert here back when my father was diagnosed with dementia in 1996 and several times he walked off the grounds of the convalescent home. I have to say though the local LE were there within minutes looking for him, along with us, and he was always found in a short period of time thank goodness.

With Merrilee LE had not only a full description of her but her vehicle also so I don't understand why one wasn't sent out immediately once LE discovered she was missing. If they had put out her vehicle description along with her license plate number in a silver alert the very first day, LE may have found her vehicle much sooner along with Merrilee's body as well.

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Oceanblueeyes, respectfully i have to disagree....
I thought about this a little longer...I feel two ways...if my family member had a key to my home that I provided then ok...well until LE may rule the home a possible crime scene.
But No, Nope...Not any family member coming to stay at my home...as my mom would be snooping and finding any and all dirt...whether relating to me going missing or not.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I understand what you are saying.

If I was missing I know our children and the rest of the family would come to our home to wait for any word on what may have happened. I don't have any problems with that although I hope like heck I am never missing nor my hubby. I don't think snooping would be in any of our children's mind if either one of us went missing under suspicious circumstances. I just think it is normal to come to the home of a missing family member. JMO though and nothing more.

If I was missing right out of the blue the least of my worries would be our children looking through anything we have in our home. We don't have anything we wouldn't want them to see though anyway.

But I do understand that others may not feel that way and truly respect those feelings.

 

[La Louve]

ITA, La!

LE cant just standby assuming anything when an elderly person goes missing with her personal contents still in her home. It irks me to think they didn't take this seriously at first. I do feel the silver alert wouldn't have helped to save Merrilee but they still should have been one out immediately. She was probably dead before they even knew she was missing since that is what usually happened. But LE didn't know that.

Don't they do a silver alert for those who have dementia or other mental disabilities? No one knows what happened until the victim is found dead or alive so LE must do all they can immediately to find any missing person. They must always think of all possibilities including she may have been taken from her home against her will. All the signs there showed something wasn't right and they should have picked up on that right away.

They didn't have a silver alert here back when my father was diagnosed with dementia in 1996 and several times he walked off the grounds of the convalescent home. I have to say though the local LE were there within minutes looking for him, along with us, and he was always found in a short period of time thank goodness.

With Merrilee LE had not only a full description of her but her vehicle also so I don't understand why one wasn't sent out immediately once LE discovered she was missing. If they had put out her vehicle description along with her license plate number in a silver alert the very first day, LE may have found her vehicle much sooner along with Merrilee's body as well.

IMO

I've found a news story when the Oregon Senate approved the bill. Perhaps the wording was changed when the House approved it and the Governor signed it. At this point my research shows the following:

"Senate Bill 1577 directs law enforcement agencies to develop policies for responding to instances of missing seniors with mental impairments. New protocols will include training for officers, processes for reporting a missing senior and mechanisms for alerting to the public."

So the reason for lack of a Silver Alert may be due to the fact that Merilee had no mental impairments.

http://www.kast1370.com/index.php?o...ate-approves-silver-alert&catid=17&Itemid=637

ETA here's an article about the governor signing the bill:

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2014/03/05/governor-signs-silver-alert-bill/6050293/

"SB 1577 will require law enforcement agencies to have policies in place for dealing with older and vulnerable adults with dementia who go missing, but it will not tell them how they have to respond."

 

[LisaWL7TR]

I understand what you are saying.

If I was missing I know our children and the rest of the family would come to our home to wait for any word on what may have happened. I don't have any problems with that although I hope like heck I am never missing nor my hubby. I don't think snooping would be in any of our children's mind if either one of us went missing under suspicious circumstances. I just think it is normal to come to the home of a missing family member. JMO though and nothing more.

If I was missing right out of the blue the least of my worries would be our children looking through anything we have in our home. We don't have anything we wouldn't want them to see though anyway.

But I do understand that others may not feel that way and truly respect those feelings.

Children fine and they have keys. Parents? not so sure...they don't have keys but then...the keywords being if I was missing...so probably ok. Well at least for a few weeks/months until she starts asking me about certain things. I really have nothing to hide...nothing illegal but ya know parents.lol
ETA They may have wanted to use her house as a meeting area for searching which is understandable.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Evey]

I'm a local and still barely see any info on this case it's weird.

 

[Evey]

Then again maybe I just haven't watched the news much since my cousins wife's brother shot his wife in portland and I found it depressing for my cousin and his wife knowing her brother killed his wife and then was killed himself and that potentially could have made it not as covered since I believe they happened around the same time. Also leaving her car in the place seems like a trick to make people assume the bad guy lives there and not look elsewhere. WEIrd that the one lady in another state was found dead in her trunk also.

 

[InsightfulSage]

Then again maybe I just haven't watched the news much since my cousins wife's brother shot his wife in portland and I found it depressing for my cousin and his wife knowing her brother killed his wife and then was killed himself and that potentially could have made it not as covered since I believe they happened around the same time. Also leaving her car in the place seems like a trick to make people assume the bad guy lives there and not look elsewhere. WEIrd that the one lady in another state was found dead in her trunk also.

How awful!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lilibet]

Then again maybe I just haven't watched the news much since my cousins wife's brother shot his wife in portland and I found it depressing for my cousin and his wife knowing her brother killed his wife and then was killed himself and that potentially could have made it not as covered since I believe they happened around the same time. Also leaving her car in the place seems like a trick to make people assume the bad guy lives there and not look elsewhere. WEIrd that the one lady in another state was found dead in her trunk also.

I'm so sorry evie. What a horrible thing for your family. Hugs.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Then again maybe I just haven't watched the news much since my cousins wife's brother shot his wife in portland and I found it depressing for my cousin and his wife knowing her brother killed his wife and then was killed himself and that potentially could have made it not as covered since I believe they happened around the same time. Also leaving her car in the place seems like a trick to make people assume the bad guy lives there and not look elsewhere. WEIrd that the one lady in another state was found dead in her trunk also.

Hi Evey. I'm so sorry for your families loss. My deepest condolences.

 

[ssgtbam]

I am sorry for your family's troubles, Evey...
As for the family staying at Merrilee's, the son lives quite a distance away, and I am pretty sure there were no intentions of doing anything improper while she was missing. As for the management telling them they could not stay, well, they are between a rock and a hard place, but it all changed when she was identified. I am fairly certain that rule won't apply while the family has to come back and disburse her belongings since she will not be returning. And, there is little doubt that they will owe space rent from her estate until they vacate the space or sell the home. That is why I wondered how bad the manager felt when the same day they informed the family that they couldn't be there, that is the same day that the body was found!
I am sure the family is devastated as are her close friends and neighbors. I do wish the LEOs would come out and talk to our neighborhood to reassure us if there is nothing to be concerned about. We do not need the details, but we deserve some information.

 

[LisaWL7TR]

Has it been said after finding Merrilee if LE went back and secured the house? If so has it been released to family?
I need to go back and read because I am curious to when her slipper was found in the yard? Unless someone else recalls basically before or after they found Merrilee? Also, I am assuming it was a slipper she was wearing when she went missing.

Sadly, I went thru Merrilee's facebook and I believe she was cautious. She had posted a safety article a ways doen and one of the tips was how to get out of the trunk of your car.(providing you are alive when placed in there) it made this so much sadder
Justice for Merrilee

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk