WA WA - Julie Weflen, 28, Spokane, 16 Sept 1987

[Shahla]

In Ann's story she mentions the normal 'control' job was finished and Julie called that in through dispatch around three. If she was able to finish the task with 'the bottle' is unsure. I would say she couldn't even start it or otherwise not finish it. If she could finish, she most probably would've called that in. She didn't get the chance anymore to call in, because head quarters only mentioned the around three normal job finished call. No more calls after that.

Sheriff's Detective Mark Henderson is retired. Was to be expected. I googled him to find that out.
While Googling I found this article:
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-n...f/2012/04/amateur_sleuth_says_case_of_mi.html
Maybe it is already mentioned earlier in this thread, but I'm not sure. Otherwise it might be good for refresh of memory. For sure I would like other people's thoughts about what is written in the article and discuss that.

In this article is mentioned a few more possible linked victims from same perp, who got Julie, than I read about here. Ann only mentions Debra Swanson. Possibly because the info about more related victims was not clear or known, when she published the story.
If the same perp was involved with victim Laurie Partridge in 1974 and he would then be, let's say, 18, he now would be in his fifties. That would make it likely he's still alive, can be caught and hold responsible. Plus, he could shed light on where he left the women.
I don't know anything about Laurie and I have not googled her yet. It might be possible the perp went to the same school as her and also might have been questioned. If her case with suspects would be compared to Julie's case and suspects, maybe a same name would come up. Same counts for the other cases. I'm curious if that has been done.

True. Law enforcements weren't so well connected back then as is possible nowadays, which of course is a disadvantage.

As you, I don't think he took the risk to watch her that long before he took the oppertunity to grab her. It seems to be more of a quick 'job'. If he wás a local, he even might have seen her somewhere before, wanted her and when he encountered her that day, alone, he took the oppertunity. This is just a loose guess, because if he saw her earlier while she wasn't working, he couldn't have known for sure it was the same person. Then he probably didn't know her profession and on the job she wore that yellow hard hat.

 

[kemo]

The abduction of Laurie Partridge in 74' and Kathryn Gregory in 81' may be related to the cases of Julie and the two Idaho cases. The known information would suggest somewhat different MO's and interviening time makes any link shakier. There just isn't all that much information out there.

There were far more abductions of "low risk" young women in the 70's and 80's than there have been since. There are several reasons for this including the overall drop in the US crime rate in the last 20 years. Law enforcement is much better at solving these cases and there is more public outrage. I suspect that many of these crimes were committed by men won were subsequently convicted of later crimes.

 

[scriptgirl]

What 2 Idaho cases? Also what was the name of the female jogger that vanished and what year was this? What are the deets on Kathryn Gregory?

 

[kline]

What 2 Idaho cases? Also what was the name of the female jogger that vanished and what year was this? What are the deets on Kathryn Gregory?

Julie Weflen disappeared in 1987.
The previous year in '86 in Coeur d lene Idaho (which is right accross the Washington/Idaho state line from Spokane) an exotic dancer named Sally Ann Stone disappeared right after a physical therapy appointment and a Teacher named Deborah Swanson disappeared after she went out for a jog.
Not a trace of either woman has ever been found.
I believe those two disappearences happened in pretty close proximity time wise if memory serves me.
Kathryn Gregory was a nurse who worked at Deaconess Hospital in Spokane.
Like Weflen she was an attractive brunette and was married to a local radio DJ.
Her car was found abandoned near the hospital in an area where she would not normally park .
No trace of her was ever found.I believe that was 1981.

 

[waitin'4thewrld2chg]

:bump:

Bumping for Julie Weflen and the other missing mentioned here.

I lived in Spokane at the time Julie disappeared, and I remember the flyers, the consternation of the community, the mystery, and how freaked out I felt about the fact that this had happened.

I also remember a follow-up article in the local newspaper that featured an interview with Julie's husband and photos of the interior of their home, where he waited for some word of her. That fellow was devastated. Word never came, at least it hasn't yet.

It never crossed my naïve mind then that whatever happened could have been perpetrated by anyone other than an anonymous boogeyman who just happened by. There is a lot of food for thought in this thread.

Some living person may know what happened to Julie. I truly hope information comes to light that will close this case.

 

[LucyOso]

Julie was 5 feet 4 and 110 pounds. A petit woman in very good physical condition, but in a struggle she wouldn't have been able to overcome an average man. But if any woman could've with same posture, she would've been one of those women. That doesn't say much about what kind of person took her. It also could've been a tiny man with a weapon or a big man with a lot of strength without a tool to overcome here. There could be two persons involved, but surely not necessary to pull this off.

The time she approximately must have been taken, had to be after three but before 16.30. Her shift ended around that time and then she always showed up at head quarters. Around three she had her last contact with head quarters, to mention she had finished her task at that substation. She mentioned there seemed to be a nitrogen leak and she would go back. Íf she was stalked by a person for a while already and was taken why exactly that day and not another? And then it also would be more likely she would be taken shortly after arrival there around two, but that didn't happen, because people heard from her around three. And that person could not have known she would go back because of a leak. Then for all he know she could have gone back to head quarters and gone was his chance to take her. This also makes it more likely this was a random act from a person cruising through the area for a victim or taking an oppertunity at chance encounter. An experienced person.

Respectfully snipped...BBM.

Julie had a rod in her back. This would drastically reduce her flexibility, making it harder for her to get away. If someone knew her, they wouldn't want her found as that is a huge identifying implant.

and

Nitrogen in it's pure form is lethal and can be difficult to tell from the air we breathe. What kind of tools (to determine a leak) and equipment (to protect herself from toxic gas) did she have? Was she already under someone's control and trying to reach out that she was in danger? This seems like a major violation of safe practice for someone alone to work on such a leak and a dispatcher to not seem it a big deal... IMOO. Then if you look at the coworker theory (not opening her box for years, etc.)...Maybe she had a work related accident and there was a cover-up?

Ideas?

 

[kemo]

Respectfully snipped...BBM.

Julie had a rod in her back. This would drastically reduce her flexibility, making it harder for her to get away. If someone knew her, they wouldn't want her found as that is a huge identifying implant.

and

Nitrogen in it's pure form is lethal and can be difficult to tell from the air we breathe. What kind of tools (to determine a leak) and equipment (to protect herself from toxic gas) did she have? Was she already under someone's control and trying to reach out that she was in danger? This seems like a major violation of safe practice for someone alone to work on such a leak and a dispatcher to not seem it a big deal... IMOO. Then if you look at the coworker theory (not opening her box for years, etc.)...Maybe she had a work related accident and there was a cover-up?

Ideas?

Lucyoso

Actually, nitrogen is not toxic, in fact, it is pretty much inert. The air we breath is 75% nitrogen. Outside, leaking nitrogen would present no hazard.

 

[LucyOso]

Thanks, Kemo. The air is made up of it. That I know. It can be toxic in enclosed spaces as it is is absorbed comparably to oxygen (molecular competition). Inert gas asphyxiation. Etc. I was just curious if she was working in an enclosed space, it could be deadly. And if she was working in an enclosed space with a known nitrogen leak, what was the protocol required (OSHA) etc. :thinking: Thanks!

 

[CatFancier]

Just bumping for Julie. Thinking of her tonight and wishing for some news...

 

[Skully]

Respectfully snipped...BBM.

Julie had a rod in her back. This would drastically reduce her flexibility, making it harder for her to get away. If someone knew her, they wouldn't want her found as that is a huge identifying implant.

and

Nitrogen in it's pure form is lethal and can be difficult to tell from the air we breathe. What kind of tools (to determine a leak) and equipment (to protect herself from toxic gas) did she have? Was she already under someone's control and trying to reach out that she was in danger? This seems like a major violation of safe practice for someone alone to work on such a leak and a dispatcher to not seem it a big deal... IMOO. Then if you look at the coworker theory (not opening her box for years, etc.)...Maybe she had a work related accident and there was a cover-up?

Ideas?

I have the same rod, and had the same surgery she had. She spent a yr in body casts and had fusions to her spine. The is called a Harrington Rod, you can google it, it is made of Titanium, and you are correct, you have very little flexibility after the surgery. Combine that with the Scoliosis itself; the reason for the rod. For reasons I don't want to go into, i believe she was murdered by someone she worked with. I also believe that there is some evidence still at the plant she worked at, but hidden. I can't believe they never checked her locker until yrs later. Anyway. I think of her often.

 

[scriptgirl]

Skully, have you gone to the police with your suspicions? Why was she killed?

 

[Classito]

I see a strong resemblance to the unknown girl in the Port St Joe photo discovered in 1989. It was allegedly found in a parking lot where a white cargo van was parked...

Classito

 

[scriptgirl]

I don't think that pic is of Julie.

 

[waitin'4thewrld2chg]

I've done a little checking on this case and I discovered that Julie had actually "logged into" the job site before she was abducted. I cannot absolutely verify that she "finished" the job, but the operating assumption seems to be that she got there at 2:00 and finished between 3:30 and 3:45 and the abduction happened when she returned to her van. This is interesting because if she were the victim of an opportunist who noticed her driving, followed her and then attacked her at her destination, he would have had to wait until she was done. This would have entailed waiting around where his vehicle might have been noticed. It would tend to increase the chance that someone she knew, possibly from work, could have done it. They would know that she was alone and how long the job would take but did any of her co-workers actually "clock out" before 3:30? (Or were any of them "out" during that time frame?). It is very important to know that she actually finished the job she was working on (apparently recharging Nitrogen to a transformer) If she "logged in" and was abducted before she really started the job, that would completely change the time frame. It would put the abduction at very close to 2:00.

Google earth shows the area now to be rural Ag land that is pretty wide open and it is not clear that someone could park and watch/wait for her without being noticed by her or any passersby.

I still think this was linked to the Deborah Jean Swanson & Sally Anne Stone cases because they share the unusual features of being abducted in a "public" area and having their bodies disposed of where they were never found (this is very rare for a "stranger abduction"). From what I can tell, Sally Anne Stone was abducted after leaving her car to go to her front door. Deborah Swanson was abducted as she returned to her car from a jog.

While none of the women were very big, they were not particularly small and they were basically fit looking. They could be expected to put up a struggle and Julie definitely did. There was evidence of a big struggle near her van and indications that two men were involved. (This would also suggest that no weapon was used). If these were all linked, I'm wondering if two men were involved in the others since it just seems too risky for one guy to pull that off.

I have no idea what might be found in her locker but the object of this latest effort seems to be to consider co-workers or other acquaintances. Apparently there was one "person of interest" who failed a polygraph. He is now dead. I recall reading about an older guy who lived near the crime scene who was considered somewhat of a suspect. Perhaps they were the same guy.

BBM
I would be interested in this individual. Even though a failed polygraph does not prove all that we might wish it did, it is still curious if someone failed one when asked about this case.

The man is deceased, but I wonder if he talked to anyone or left anyone around him suspicious. I imagine this has been looked into by LE, but if Julie's work locker wasn't looked into until long after the fact.....

I hope Julie's disappearance is or becomes the pet project of someone in LE and that this cold, cold case will one day be cracked.

 

[Classito]

I don't think that pic is of Julie.

I think it is an almost perfect match...chin, eyes, eyebrows, hair, pierced ears, nose....Curious...What do you see that doesn't match?

Classito

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

"Portland native still missing after 27 years; family, friends hope for answers"

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Portland-native-Julie-Weflen-still-missing-after-27-years-303535031.html

“We're advocating for Julie Weflen,” retired BPA employee Charlie Feris tells people leaving the Portland BPA building Tuesday morning. “She was one of our employees who disappeared back in 1987.”

Julie's former co-workers spent part of their day Tuesday handing out fliers to BPA workers seeking information in Julie Weflen’s disappearance.

They haven't forgotten.

 

[scriptgirl]

I wonder if one of those coworkers had a hand in her disappearance...

 

[Vaden]

A lot of people seem to dismiss that there were two abducters, but from early newspaper reports there was clear evidence (as in footprints) that showed two people dragging Julie to another vehicle. Without that info I would also immediately think of a lone suspect but it seems dumb not to follow the evidence. Makes me wonder if the suspects are related? Seems like there's a lot of cases where brothers/cousins commit crimes similar to this. I know there's one suspect that owns land nearby that is still alive. And he supposedly has a connection to one of the Idaho missing person cases.

 

[kemo]

A lot of people seem to dismiss that there were two abducters, but from early newspaper reports there was clear evidence (as in footprints) that showed two people dragging Julie to another vehicle. Without that info I would also immediately think of a lone suspect but it seems dumb not to follow the evidence. Makes me wonder if the suspects are related? Seems like there's a lot of cases where brothers/cousins commit crimes similar to this. I know there's one suspect that owns land nearby that is still alive. And he supposedly has a connection to one of the Idaho missing person cases.

Vaden,

What is the story with your suspect? I read some reference to a suspect who was described as a "local guy" who is now dead. We're there two brothers and one is now dead? Please tell.

 

[scriptgirl]

What Idaho missing case do you mean?