Deceased/Not Found WA - Rebecca Elizabeth West, 12, Spokane, 21 October 1991 *Guilty*

[sasha17]

Rebecca was last seen October 21, 1991 at a service station in Spokane with a 10-year old friend, Nicki Wood, whose burned body was later discovered 15 miles north of Spokane in an an area known as "7 Mile". There was no evidence of Rebecca's whereabouts at the scene.

Age progression photo:

NamUs #MP6795 - The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Rebecca Elizabeth West – The Charley Project

 

[sasha17]

Michael W. Tarbert was charged with both of the girls' murders in March 1996. The prosecution had a witness who saw Rebecca and Wood get into Tarbert's car on the afternoon they were abducted, and two prison inmates who stated Tarbert told them he'd killed the girls while under the influence of drugs.

Tarbert entered a no contest plea to two counts of first-degree manslaughter in May 1998, four days before his trial was scheduled to begin. He maintains his innocence and said he only took the plea deal to avoid a possible first-degree murder conviction and life sentence. Tarbert was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the girls' homicides. He is serving his sentence in a facility on the west side of the state. His maximum release date was set for August 2020.

1996 article: Charge Filed In 4-Year-Old Murder Case Only One Body Found After Two West Central Girls Disappeared

2014 article: Father of Rebecca West speaks about potential release of Michael Tarbert: 'It's been a living hell'

2019 article about the neighborhood: West Central neighborhood rises above its reputation

 

[sasha17]

Tarbert entered a no contest plea to two counts of first-degree manslaughter in May 1998, four days before his trial was scheduled to begin. He maintains his innocence and said he only took the plea deal to avoid a possible first-degree murder conviction and life sentence. Tarbert was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the girls' homicides. He is serving his sentence in a facility on the west side of the state. His maximum release date was set for August 2020.

As of today, Tarbert is still is prison. Inmate Search | Washington State Department of Corrections

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Rebecca Elizabeth West – The Charley Project

 

[spartanx]

The very unfortunate man from Tarbert was released in August 2022 and died in November 2022... and he never revealed the location of West's body... a human garbage no matter how you look at him... I hope he died with all the pain of the dirty world sick animal...
Whatever the case, rest in peace, little Rebecca.

 

[Pennysmom1]

484DFWA - Rebecca Elizabeth West

Left: West, circa 1991; Right: Age-progression at age 31 (circa 2010)

Date of Birth: September 17, 1979
Age: 12 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 4'7
Weight: 95 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown/dark blonde
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers​

Dentals: X-rays Available
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Available
<<West was last seen at a service station in Spokane, Washington on October 21, 1991. She was accompanied by her friend, Iryll Wood (nicknamed "Nicki"), at the time.

Neither of the girls returned to their homes during the evening.

Searchers discovered Wood's body under a pile of burning pine needles shortly after their disappearances were reported to authorities. Wood had been strangled to death. Her remains were located in the Seven Mile area north of Spokane. There was no evidence of West's whereabouts at the scene.

Michael W. Tarbert resided in a cabin near the location of Wood's body in 1991. He was charged with both of the girls' murders in March 1996. He entered a guilty plea in May 1998, shortly before his trial was scheduled to begin.

Tarbert was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the girls' homicides. Her confessed murderer Michael W. Tarbert was released from the Washington State Penitentiary on August 20, 2022 and died on November 26, 2022 without ever revealing where he left her body.>>

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23572311/rebecca-elizabeth-west