WA WA - Bellingham, Georgia Pacific plant, WhtMal 20-40, 862UMWA, Continental Airlines ticket, Sep'87

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The more and more I read about that GP factory and the environmental concern it posed not just for what it produced, but also the environmental impact of the land/water surrounding the factory itself, I’m leaning closer and closer to a possible motivation of environmentalism on part of the UID - and even the woman who inquired about the plant weeks before the UID was discovered.

Perhaps she indeed was sent from an environmentalism group to see what plants in that area were accessible. She might have gone back to someone in their group, whether this be in person or some network that met through writing, and detailed what the worker said about the plant. The only thing is: I cannot see an environmentalist wanting to take a plane wherever they intend to stage some sort of potentially dangerous protest. Who knows. Maybe it wasn’t the UIDs claim ticket, but the ticket for someone they had picked up from the airport. We just don’t know. :( But If it was their ticket, perhaps they were lured by a local to the area for a reason. Again, this woman would interest me of THATS the case.

Many people would hear of ideas of extreme environmental protest and carry them out alone, particularly before online networking made it easier to find like minded individuals to stage group protests with.

In June of 1987 particularly I came across a scholarly article written by Susan Dixon about the GP plant and neighboring plant and their impact on society and environment of the area. This plant was of concern to many at the time. But I wish I could read this woman’s article. She published it just before or around the time the UID is thought to have fallen in the boiler. Did the UID know this article or Susan? They both seemed to have interest in the plants in the area around the same time.

The social and economic impacts of a hypothetical closure of the Georgia-Pacific Plant in Bellingham, Washington (1987 edition) | Open Library

More info on Susan here. She seems quite influential:
Haymarket Books

the article was published by the Huxley College of Environmental Studies. Could the UID and/or mystery woman interested in the boilers have ties to this college???Publisher: Huxley College of Environmental Studies | Open Library


I keep looking for missing ppl with interests in environmentalism or at an extreme eco terrorism in 1987.

Perhaps an environmentalists partner pushed them on purpose and left them to die- bc their concern was more for the plant closing due to unsafe operations than one human’s life. Or they were too scared they would face legal retribution or had reason (prior criminal history, paranoia/distrust over govt agencies) to not seek help.

Or perhaps the UID jumped in themselves on purpose and intended to die and eventually be found in the same act of extreme protest.

The interest of the woman in how these boilers work around the time this UID fell into one is too much of a coincidence to be ignored. I think she had a reason for wanting that information and was sent for it.

WA state has long had friction between environmentalists and large corporations that have had little concern for their social/environmental impact on the state.
 
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the article was published by the Huxley College of Environmental Studies. Could the UID and/or mystery woman interested in the boilers have ties to this college???

RSBM

Yeah, there's a pretty high chance of that, even without taking into consideration the possible environmentalist undertones in this case, because of the location. Huxley College is part of Western Washington University here, one of the biggest colleges in the university, then and now. A lot of people, again, then and now, have come here to study environmental science and related topics, and there has always been lots of environmental activism and similar stuff here. Our local history is more interesting than you'd think and somewhat spotty, which I could elaborate on but is most likely not relevant here lol.

But as I said, the chances of one or both of these people having ties to Huxley or, at least, Western as a whole, are very likely, because Western is a big part of Bellingham. Bellingham has a population that skews pretty young, because it's mostly young adult college students, so it'd make more sense if he was younger. Western students have also always loved doing protests, especially climate and environment-related.

As I have mentioned, I am local to this case, and I do attend Western Washington University, which Huxley College is a part of. So, if there is a capacity in which I can help, I'm all ears, but I don't think there is much I can realistically do.
 
RSBM

Yeah, there's a pretty high chance of that, even without taking into consideration the possible environmentalist undertones in this case, because of the location. Huxley College is part of Western Washington University here, one of the biggest colleges in the university, then and now. A lot of people, again, then and now, have come here to study environmental science and related topics, and there has always been lots of environmental activism and similar stuff here. Our local history is more interesting than you'd think and somewhat spotty, which I could elaborate on but is most likely not relevant here lol.

But as I said, the chances of one or both of these people having ties to Huxley or, at least, Western as a whole, are very likely, because Western is a big part of Bellingham. Bellingham has a population that skews pretty young, because it's mostly young adult college students, so it'd make more sense if he was younger. Western students have also always loved doing protests, especially climate and environment-related.

As I have mentioned, I am local to this case, and I do attend Western Washington University, which Huxley College is a part of. So, if there is a capacity in which I can help, I'm all ears, but I don't think there is much I can realistically do.

thanks for the info :)
would there be any way you could speak to an advisor who could see if any students fell out of their environmental studies program in 1987? Maybe someone who was studying under or along side Susan Dixon who wrote the June 1987 article?

Or perhaps the old way of doing things - flyers around town and on campus of the UID - stating it’s a cold case and asking if anyone might remember someone matching the description?

or maybe we should just write Susan directly and see if maybe she has any ideas?

That’s all I can think of.
 
would there be any way you could speak to an advisor who could see if any students fell out of their environmental studies program in 1987? Maybe someone who was studying under or along side Susan Dixon who wrote the June 1987 article?

I am not sure if that's possible. My school isn't the best with records and I'd be shocked if anyone has been working at the department since 1987 - maybe I can ask around about this?

Or perhaps the old way of doing things - flyers around town and on campus of the UID - stating it’s a cold case and asking if anyone might remember someone matching the description?

or maybe we should just write Susan directly and see if maybe she has any ideas?

This one I can definitely do. I'll look into it this week. :)

I like the idea of working to write Susan.
 
Is Marc on the rule outs?

CANADA - Canada - Marc April, 25, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 31 Jan 1987

pretty close vitals. Disappeared in January 1987 from a hospital in Canada. Not sure on specifics. If anyone can dig up more info on him IF he isn’t on the exclusions list I would so appreciate bc I’m I’ve hit a wall with info. ❤️ TIA

I would think LE could see missing persons that have left Canada after having gone missing, right? I have no clue how it all works.

The decedent isn't in Namus, so we can't see any exclusions list. Even if we could, Marc likely wouldn't be on it; Canadian exclusions aren't listed unless the LE agency maintaining the file takes extra steps to include it and make it visible.
 
The decedent isn't in Namus, so we can't see any exclusions list. Even if we could, Marc likely wouldn't be on it; Canadian exclusions aren't listed unless the LE agency maintaining the file takes extra steps to include it and make it visible.

carbuff I’ve seen you post here on WS for so long! It makes me really interested in what theory you have at this point!!?

Homicide in some way like forced at gunpoint by a jilted female lover into the boiler? Accidental death on part of the UID who was curious about boiler for whatever reason? Suicide?
 
carbuff I’ve seen you post here on WS for so long! It makes me really interested in what theory you have at this point!!?

Homicide in some way like forced at gunpoint by a jilted female lover into the boiler? Accidental death on part of the UID who was curious about boiler for whatever reason? Suicide?

Aw thanks, but I don't usually have much in the way of theories. I tend to be more about finding out the facts and areas for further investigation.

In this case, I am most curious about a covered-up industrial accident.
 
This particular type of misadventure really didn't become very popular within the US until about fifteen years later. Maybe he was just ahead of his time.
Man falls 40 feet down chimney while practicing Parkour
Urban exploration - Wikipedia

yikes poor guy!

or on the flip side, maybe he was from a country where parkour was something ppl were doing in 1987? I know this theory has been brought up before and apologies if it is redundant.

seems it has French roots dating back to the 50’s. There is French culture and peoples in Canada.


“the modern era. Inspired by his work, units of the French Special Forces in the 1950’s further developed Hebert’s work into what came to be known as, “parcours du combattant.”, or “the path of the warrior”.

Years later, Raymond Belle, a fireman and veteran of the French Special Forces, returned to his hometown of Lisses on the outskirts of Paris, where he introduced the discipline of parcours du combattant and the teachings of Hebert to his young son David and a group of David’s close friends, who then set out to adapt Raymond’s teachings to their “natural setting”, giving birth to what we now know as “Parkour.”

Belle and then best friend, Sebastian Foucan along with other childhood friends and family members established a group of “traceurs” (the original term for parkour practitioners), which they named the “Yamikazi”, after a tribe of warriors in Africa. As the first organized group of traceurs, the Yamikazi began to develop a following in France that included filmmaker Luc Besson. “The Yamikazi”, Besson’s film about the group accelerated the growth of Parkour.”

A Brief & Basic History of Parkour - World Freerunning Parkour Federation

it was not until the late 90’s that it became a competitive “sport”.

also I’m guessing this Raymond Belle and Sabastian Foucan are who the 90’s band Belle and Sebastian were named after?
 
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I believe the airplane ticket is going to be the biggest clue in this case. My family and I used to drive from Canada to Bellingham and fly out from Bellingham to California/Nevada/Arizona etc. because it was cheaper. Which only leaves more doors open I guess, considering the possibility he could be from Canada or any other state besides Washington.
rsbm
Here's a map of airports that Continental flew to in 1987, Bellingham isn't on the list although Continental possibly partnered with an airline with commute/turbo-prop connections to there from Seattle. Or maybe he flew to Seattle and rented a car or took a bus. I guess this doesn't narrow down the list of places they might be from very much. Or as @breachtones suggested, they may even have started from Bellingham to fly somewhere and return. But why keep the ticket?
Continental Airlines route map, February 1987
 
That's the 3rd time I've read about Bellingham WA on 3 different threads this week.
Seems to have a high number of people being killed there for such a small town....
 
That's the 3rd time I've read about Bellingham WA on 3 different threads this week.
Seems to have a high number of people being killed there for such a small town....

What other threads have you read about Bellingham on? :eek: I really don't hear about much serious crime here...there was a man who died of suicide here and was an UID for a few months a few years ago , and a professor's husband who died of unspecified (not foul play-related) causes a few months ago, but I don't recall much else. Please let me know!
 
There is a cross-pipe 10 feet down from the top of the chimney that runs one side to the other through the center of the stack, then another set of pipes running through the entire expanse of the stack 7.5 feet below the cross-pipe (probably a bracing pipe the top one).

Below the first layer of full pipes, there is another full layer of pipes.

The remains were found atop the first layer.

0 feet - top of stack. The stack is only 4.5 feet wide at this point.
10 feet from top of stack - single cross-pipe
?? feet - "just above first layer of parallel pipes, stack abruptly widens to 11 feet diameter" (taken from the written description of the stack, but no specific height given)
17.5 feet from top of stack - layer of 11 parallel pipes with remains laying atop
21 feet from top of stack - another layer of parallel pipes

IMO the injuries (broken femurs, perhaps pelvis) were caused by him striking that single cross-pipe on the way down as it was most unavoidable given stack was only 4.5 feet wide at this portion if I understand the written evidentiary description correctly, followed by the pelvis and ankle break when landing on the set of parallel pipes he cam to rest on. He lived, at least for a little bit as earlier case points note that an ankle was wrapped with cloth as if to assist with an injury. He must have been in a hell of a lot of pain - how horrible for him it must have been.

May 2022 be the year he finds his name and makes his way home to those who loved and miss him.

Great post linked here that has the police evidentiary diagrams made of the stack:
WA - WA - Bellingham, Georgia Pacific plant, WhtMal 20-40, 862UMWA, Continental Airlines ticket, Sep'87
Thank you for those thorough explanation!
 
That's the 3rd time I've read about Bellingham WA on 3 different threads this week.
Seems to have a high number of people being killed there for such a small town....

It's not that small, actually, and it is a VERY busy area with an active airport and college. :) Many tourists and a lot of Canadians come through.
 
What other threads have you read about Bellingham on? :eek: I really don't hear about much serious crime here...there was a man who died of suicide here and was an UID for a few months a few years ago , and a professor's husband who died of unspecified (not foul play-related) causes a few months ago, but I don't recall much else. Please let me know!
There's Leah Roberts. She's from NC but was last seen in Bellingham before her car was found a bit east of there. WA - WA - Leah Roberts, 23, Whatcom Co, 13 Mar 2000
ETA there's several links on Leah's thread to other Bellingham and Whatcom Co. cases.
 
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