OR Sharon Ryan, 17, raped/murdered, found in parking lot,Portland, 16 Dec. 1976

[heathensmom]

At the ti.e she was murdered Jefferson was the "Performing Arts" school. She was living with her sister because it was closer.
And whoever asked if I could post the pictures I have? I am uncomfortable doing that. I can tell you they were printed in the paper. I believe "The Oregonian" but there were 2 papers at the time. The other was "The Oregon Journal" simply called the Journal.

 

[heathensmom]

Perhaps a good question to ask the cold case detectives is why they did not follow up on the people who HEARD the attack, her screaming for help, who hid behind their shades/curtains and dare I say it...WATCHED...but to understand how badly the dropped the ball??? Ask them WHY THEY CHANGED IT FROM CLOSED TO COLD IN 2007-2008. Aren't you curious about THAT???

 

[heathensmom]

Portland's Jefferson High School is a special focus school which allows students to take college credit classes. It is a public school which shares a geographical area with three other Public High School districts: Grant, Madison, and Roosevelt. Where a student lives determines what public school he or she attends.

In my previous post, I quoted exactly what was stated in the link provided. I do not know the particulars of Sharon's school registration, but it is possible that she lived in a district or area which included both Grant and Jefferson schools.

Some special schools provide classes and curriculum (full or part time) for students who later are awarded a diploma from their home area school. I do not know if this was the case here, but a possibility. It is also possible that a student could transfer into the special school after starting out in one of the
other high schools.

LINK:
https://www.pps.net/cms/lib/OR01913224/Centricity/Domain/2294/Jefferson_DA.pdf

 

[heathensmom]

The link above is not how it was in 1976.

 

[heathensmom]

I am not in communication with her family. I will share, because it was posted in the Sunday Oregonian after she was found, that her family and friends called her "Shen." Her brother was unable to say "Sharon."
I saw her picture when she was missing Saturday but "buried" it in my mind. Sunday it was on the front page after they found her with her picture. I read it and had no reaction. My brother said "Did you read this?" I said yes. He said it's SHEN! I said it was not. It was a girl named Sharon. He said "Damnit it IS SHEN!" He and my mother had to keep reinforcing it because I just could not process it. It is still hard and I cannot imagine how her family ever did.

 

[LeAnn53]

I’ve been haunted by that night since I was 23. I’m 67 now. Every year I search the web in hopes that there has been progress made in this case. We lived across the street from the house that backed up to the parking lot. Ours was a large two story house divided into an apartment. We lived in the upstairs apartment, and my husbands cousin and wife lived downstairs. That night the four of us went out to dinner. We returned home around 8pm, dropped off our cousins, then left for the movies. The next day her sister knocked on our door asking if any of us had seen her. After she was found, the police interviewed everyone. My husband’s cousin had heard a large dog continuously barking and had gone out and looked around. He didn’t hear, or see, anything else and the dog was called in the house. He did testify in court to possibly help with the timeline. I was the only one home during the day, and I was terrified in that big house. We moved shortly after. I haven’t been able to forget about that night, however, I want to remember her. She deserves to be remembered.

 

[dotr]

I’ve been haunted by that night since I was 23. I’m 67 now. Every year I search the web in hopes that there has been progress made in this case. We lived across the street from the house that backed up to the parking lot. Ours was a large two story house divided into an apartment. We lived in the upstairs apartment, and my husbands cousin and wife lived downstairs. That night the four of us went out to dinner. We returned home around 8pm, dropped off our cousins, then left for the movies. The next day her sister knocked on our door asking if any of us had seen her. After she was found, the police interviewed everyone. My husband’s cousin had heard a large dog continuously barking and had gone out and looked around. He didn’t hear, or see, anything else and the dog was called in the house. He did testify in court to possibly help with the timeline. I was the only one home during the day, and I was terrified in that big house. We moved shortly after. I haven’t been able to forget about that night, however, I want to remember her. She deserves to be remembered.

Welcome to Ws LeAnne53!
Thanks for sharing your recollections of what must have been a terrifying time for you, yes, Sharon definitely deserves to be remembered!

 

[dotr]

SHARON RYAN | Unsolved Cold Cases | The City of Portland, Oregon
SHARON RYAN

Case #76-96386

View KPTV's story on this Cold Case.

On December 16, 1976, 17-year old Sharon Ryan was making cookies at her sister’s house in the 2400 block of NE Flanders. Sharon realized that there were no eggs at her sister’s house and that she needed some for the cookie recipe. She told her sister that she was going to walk to a nearby store to buy eggs and would be right back. She never returned.

When Sharon had not returned in about a half-hour, her sister became alarmed and began to search the neighborhood with her husband. After searching for approximately one-and-a-half hours, they called the police and made out a missing report on Sharon. Sharon’s sister told the police that Sharon was a high school senior at Grant High School, was very reliable and had never done anything like this before.

On December 18, 1976, friends and family of Sharon Ryan again searched the area and a friend found an egg carton and broken eggs in a parking lot near Sharon’s home. Sharon’s body was subsequently found in an isolated, grassy area next to the parking lot and had been partially covered with plant material. Portland Police responded to the scene and an autopsy revealed that Sharon had been sexually assaulted and died from homicidal violence.
Witnesses may contact Cold Case Homicide Unit investigators directly at (503) 823-0400. To remain anonymous, witnesses may provide information through Crime Stoppers of Oregon.

Crime Stoppers of Oregon offers cash rewards for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in any unsolved felony crime and tipsters can remain anonymous.

Information about this case or any unsolved felony crime may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,500.

Information learned from social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube should be shared as these tips may lead to the identification of a suspect or suspects. Links can be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers.

Submit an anonymous tip:

Visit the App Store and download P3 Tips to submit secure and anonymous tips.

Online at Tip Form

Call 503-823-HELP (4357).''

 

[Richard]

43 years later, Sharon Ryan’s murder remains a mystery
On December 16, 1976 Sharon Ryan was murdered

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — On the 43rd anniversary of a teen’s disappearance and murder, the Portland Police put out a renewed call for information on the cold case.

On December 16, 1976, 17-year-old Sharon Ryan was making cookies with her sister at a Northeast Portland home when she left on a quick errand to grab some eggs. She told her sister she was going to a nearby store, but never came back.

That was the last time she was seen alive.

Ryan’s body was discovered days later near a parking lot by her home. Broken eggs were not far from her remains. She had been sexually assaulted before being murdered.

Now, Cold Case Homicide Unit investigators are asking that anyone with information about her death contact police at (503) 823-0400. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

LINK:

43 years later, Sharon Ryan’s murder remains a mystery | KOIN.com

 

[Richard]

44 years ago:


Sharon Ryan, 17, murdered 16 December 1976

 

[heathensmom]

I am applying for a FOIA with the help of a true crime podcaster. There is a 50/50 shot we will get it. I have serious doubts but worth a try.

 

[heathermarie87]

Here's what I have been able to collect as far as press. I really hope Shen gets justice.

 

[heathermarie87]

A few more...

 

[dotr]

A few more...

Welcome to Ws heathermarie87, thanks for the links!

 

[heathermarie87]

Welcome to Ws heathermarie87, thanks for the links!

Thanks. I was also able to find some old yearbook photos of her as well, and I uploaded a few to her findagrave memorial. This poor girl, her story breaks my heart. She was killed right up the street from where I live now, and I have daughters the age she was when she was murdered.

 

[metamarama]

Here's what I have been able to collect as far as press. I really hope Shen gets justice.

Thanks for posting these. I just listened to the segment about Sharon on the Misconduct podcast and became curious, since I lived in the 2200 block of NE Flanders when I moved to Portland in 1999. In the 12/22/76 piece by Connie Hofferber "Tragedy Scene Not Ominous" (pdf 5), there's a standout sentence: "Portland police say the area is not in a high-crime neighborhood, but since 1973 there have been four unsolved murders involving girls who were strangled." Kind of seems like something the police might have wanted to look into. Did they? I would like to know more about the other murders - is it possible there was a serial killer operating in Kerns in that time period? Were there similar murders after Sharon's?

 

[dotr]

Thanks for posting these. I just listened to the segment about Sharon on the Misconduct podcast and became curious, since I lived in the 2200 block of NE Flanders when I moved to Portland in 1999. In the 12/22/76 piece by Connie Hofferber "Tragedy Scene Not Ominous" (pdf 5), there's a standout sentence: "Portland police say the area is not in a high-crime neighborhood, but since 1973 there have been four unsolved murders involving girls who were strangled." Kind of seems like something the police might have wanted to look into. Did they? I would like to know more about the other murders - is it possible there was a serial killer operating in Kerns in that time period? Were there similar murders after Sharon's?

Welcome to Ws metamarama, intriguing line of thought!

 

[metamarama]

Welcome to Ws metamarama, intriguing line of thought!

I mean, maybe the earlier ones were eventually solved? But what if they haven't been? If they still have the evidence, it must be full of DNA that could be tested.

 

[heathermarie87]

I seriously hope they do have usable DNA and can eventually solve it. Same with Donna Kuzmaak, around the same time. They solved another cold case around that time with DNA, just in the past couple of years. But I heard a rumor through the internet grapevine, vaguely suggesting that a man executed in Texas in the 90s, may have been responsible for Donna's murder, based on genetic genealogy assumptions. I also wonder about the man who was tried for murdering Sharon and acquitted way back in the day. Even if they have DNA they could compare against him now that was viable, could he be retried? My heart breaks at the injustice of this case.

 

[Patti Lukrofka]

Exactly and is there DNA that they can look at and compare to him now? Her family needs answers.

I went to Richmond School with Sharon. We knew her as Shen. I realize they didn’t have the DNA technology in 1976, but it must be ran again. Her friends and family need answers!