Martinak told a Democrat-Herald reporter at the time that despite the rough conditions, mounted posses and search teams on foot were attacking the terrain. Take hot dogs out of the freezer. Authorities stated current technology made it possible to test old evidence and come up with the information necessary to make a case against Ackroyd. The men drove by Santiam Junction, slowing as they passed the eastern edge of the highway compound where Ackroyds manufactured home backed up to the woods. He had his sisters image tattooed on his arm last year. This would lead them to begin to question the statements of her stepfather. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The resolution, in this case, would allow closure for the loved ones of Kaye Turner but was little solace for the friends and family of Rachanda Pickle, who had been missing for approximately four years at the time of sentencing. So, lots of NKOTB, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Martika - you know, all the old school late 80's/early 90's goodness. A father, mother, and son disappeared from rural Wisconsin in - Reddit Rachandas mother now says: So there was something going on there but I just didnt see it then., REMEMBERING RACHANDA (Photo 1 of 4): Byron Pickle is 43 and lives in Aumsville with his wife and two children. Her mother and stepfather didn't report her missing until the next day. He said he came home during a break from work and asked Rachanda if she wanted to go for a ride with him. During the summer of 1990, when Rachanda was thirteen years old, she and her brother Byron had gone to spend a couple of weeks with their father, Steve, in Medford. Seiber is shown here with her daughter. Three years would pass, in which this case seemed to just fade from the headlines. Before Ackroyd entered their lives, their mother cycled through boyfriends and husbands. They would follow up on these reported sightings - and even talk to people that had been visited campgrounds or hiking trails in the area - but were unable to find any clue pointing to the teenage girl's whereabouts. Byron was Rachandas companion and playground protector. Sometime after he moved, Ackroyd was in his truck with the daughter of an old friend. Six Degrees of WTF | Kaye Turner, Rachanda Pickle, The Ashland Tragedy She has never been heard from again. Hed pored over Ackroyds police interviews from 1979 when the highway worker admitted he was the last person to see Kaye Turner. Cook said Rachanda once came to school with a black eye. Once, he invited neighbors over to watch horror movies, becoming so animated over scenes of women being chopped up that hed hit rewind again and again. When youre a young kid used to living in Springfield and you go to the Santiam Junction, its like this is a desolate area.. The whereabouts of Rachanda Pickle have never been determined, with none of her friends, family members, or acquaintances having seen her after July 10th, 1990. If that would have happened, I would not have any of my kids stay there any longer. But Rachandas distress was clear. He offered stability and helped provide for her two children. It was important to Ackroyd to have his plea sealed, prosecutors said. If she had run away, she had not done so with any of her clothing or makeup. But they were always short-lived, so I mean, me and my sister had to rely on each other, Byron said. He recalled that Rachanda was on the living room couch in her pajamas, watching cartoons, at the time. We spent several days up there several times. While this plea deal provided some kind of closure in the case, John Arthur Ackroyd was not required to provide any kind of proof in the murder case of Rachanda Pickle. There are lots of nooks and crannies that you cant see by air, Martinak said, adding that a helicopter search was especially useful for steep areas where someone on foot or horseback couldnt effectively search. During interviews, John had also told investigators that Kaye Turner had likely been stabbed and shot to death, which was later confirmed by tests conducted years after her murder. The Oregonian/OregonLive went to court to lift a judge's order that had kept secret for years John Ackroyd's unusual plea deal in the death of his 13-year-old stepdaughter Rachanda Pickle. "The settlement reached a point where we were able to have the certainty. Rachanda declined, citing the chores her mother expected her to finish, he said. By now, investigators knew who they were dealing with. A tipster had claimed that Rachanda was still alive, and residing in eastern Linn County. When questioned about why he had taken the day off, he explained it away, claiming that he wanted to check in at home and see if some car parts he needed had arrived, having been delivered to the home. Chandy Pickle | Unidentified Wiki | Fandom A few witnesses would recall having seen her during her multi-mile jog, but their statements were unable to provide the missing piece of this puzzle. He would check on her at recess, recalled Mandy Cook, a childhood friend and classmate who now lives in Amarillo, Texas. She seemed withdrawn and tired. ", Rachanda and Byron Pickle were close. A forensic examination of the available evidence proved that's actually what happened, and that Ackroyd - who had little in the way of an imagination - had basically confessed to investigators when he expressed these guesses. Updated 10 times since October 12, 2004. He was arrested a little less than two years later for his involvement in the murder of Kaye Turner, and spent the rest of his shitty, miserable life behind bars. Investigators were already familiar with John because of his history; in particular, his connection to the still-unsolved case of Kaye Turner, the jogger that had gone missing on Christmas Eve back in 1978. Sheila Swanson was 19 and from nearby Lebanon. My children know they did have an Aunt Rachanda.. When he returned to the house at approximately 12:45 p.m., Rachanda had vanished. Classification: Endangered Missing Vital Statistics Date Of Birth: March 15, 1977 Age at Time of Disappearance: 13 years old Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 4'7; 90 pounds Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Kaye Turner's killing became a faded memory. In 2013, he was charged with murder related to the 1990 disappearance of 13-year-old Rachanda Pickle, his stepdaughter. Despite no information being published in the disappearance of Rachanda Pickle following the developments from early in 1991 (when the FBI was brought in to develop a suspect profile), the case was still being actively worked on by members of the Linn County Sheriff's Office. A police photo taken inside the Ackroyd home. The highway worker had hurt Rachanda, stuffed her into a garbage bag and hauled her away, Linn County Sheriffs Detective Jim Salsbery said during one of their interviews. achanda Pickles stepfather could turn angry in a flash. Because of the time she had been gone - weeks, almost a month now - authorities were fairly certain that even if she was out in the woods somewhere, they were unlikely to save her. At the time, journalists with the Oregonian and Oregon Live were investigating this story for their amazing "Ghosts of Highway 20" project (which I honestly can't recommend enough, it's an amazing piece of journalism that you all should check out). This seemed to leave the case in an unusual spot moving forward since the victim's body had never been found, and now the only suspect had died without the case going to trial. "The settlement reached a point where we were able to have the certainty that he would be in prison forever," Marteeny told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Could trucks be to blame for killing more pedestrians? You could tell they were both being physically abused, said Seiber, who now lives outside Houston. She didn't even have a telephone in their home.". In the months after Rachanda's disappearance, Rachanda's mother Linda would officially separate from her stepfather John, moving away to Portland. Rachanda stuck close to her mother and rarely strayed from the family home at Santiam Junction. However, the search would be confined to this specific area for the first several days, with the search not extending far beyond the immediate vicinity. Russell Barnett, a Portland criminal defense lawyer who represented Ackroyd along with Elizabeth Baker, declined to say why Ackroyd wanted the deal to remain secret. She was afraid to go home from school; as a . for Oregon's Jefferson County, would tell reporters that November: "He was trying to go for the reward money. She said no and he left. No, the bewildered dispatcher said, thats not true, not with children., The dispatcher asked: Who was the last person that saw her, do you know?, GONE FROM SANTIAM JUNCTION (Photo 1 of 7): Rachanda Pickle didnt like living at Santiam Junction. Linn County Sheriff's Office mounted extensive search for Rachanda Pickle in 1990 SWEET HOME Rachanda Pickle was wearing a T-shirt, black sweat pants and tennis shoes when the 13-year-old. Rachanda was incredibly close with her mother, Linda, and her aunt JoAnn Serdy would later recall to the Albany Democrat-Herald: "You could almost set your clock by her. However, following the disappearance of John's stepdaughter, investigators had begun looking into the dormant case of Kaye Turner. Eight months later, Ackroyd reported finding her remains in the woods. What we're afraid of is that someone came up to the house, found her alone here and took her.". When he returned to the house at approximately 12:45 p.m., Rachanda had vanished. At the wrong place at the right time.. On Christmas Eve morning, Ackroyd showed up at the house. She reportedly declined and when Ackroyd returned home about 12:45 p.m., she was gone. John Ackroyd had an unusual arrangement with Rachandas mother, Linda. On the morning of December 24th, 1978, Kaye Jean Turner left a cabin she had been renting near Camp Sherman, a tourist hotspot in central Oregon, about 40 miles northwest of Bend. Ackroyd is a suspected serial killer: he's doing life right now for a 1978 murder (he was convicted in 1994), and is a suspect in two other women's disappearances besides Rachanda's. Nieustpl. She said no and he left. However, as recounted by family members, later on, she never ventured too far out into the woods unless she had her big brother Byron with her. Ackroyd did little to look for her and later picked up Linda from work. Born on March 15th, 1977, Rachanda Lea Pickle (commonly called "Chandy" by her loved ones) was the second child born to her parents, Steven and Linda, who split up and divorced when the children were quite young. When the dispatcher asked why she hadnt called sooner, Linda said she assumed she had to wait 24 hours to report a missing person. She's real fond of her makeup.". He said he came home during a break from work and asked Rachanda if she wanted to go for a ride with him. Ghosts of Highway 20 Despite that, however, reporters with Oregon Live and the Oregonian have uncovered information that points to a long reign of terror for this one man, which extended far beyond his two known crimes. Also, it was determined that John's accomplice, Roger Dale Beck, had told friends and family about the killing and had threatened them never to tell or they would suffer the same fate. Ackroyd made the plea in open court, but then it was immediately sealed at his request. Unfortunately, any additional evidence would be hard to come by in this case, and it would remain stagnant for more than a decade until it was revived years later, in the most unlikely of ways. Linda and John Ackroyd left for work, she as a housekeeper at Black Butte Ranch, a resort community about 30 minutes away, and he as a highway mechanic. After so many years, though, the edge of that threat had begun to grow dull, and these witnesses were no longer intimidated by a couple of doughy, middle-aged men. John Arthur Ackroyd would remain one of investigators' top suspects in this case, and as a result, would be questioned several times alongside a friend of his (whom police considered a potential accomplice). The family had lived at the state highway compound for six years. He said he came home during a break from work and asked Rachanda if she wanted to go for a ride with him. To some, she seemed lost, almost invisible. Linda, meanwhile, would attempt to defend her husband from accusations that she deemed unfounded, telling reporters that: "John ain't a violent man; he don't even beat the kids. He stated that a black duffel bag filled with clothes - which he had seen with Rachanda just days before her disappearance - was missing from her belongings at the time. Rachanda Lea Pickle - The Charley Project YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. If he could have kept his mouth shut, this case would have gone nowhere.". What were the odds of that? And on the morning she vanished, Rachanda asked her mother not to go to work. SALEM John Arthur Ackroyd, who in 2013 was charged with the 1990 murder of his stepdaughter Rachanda Pickle, has died of natural causes at the Oregon State Penitentiary in . Who was the last person that saw her, do you know?the dispatcher asked the girl's mother. Rachanda was last seen watching television at her family's residence on the Santiam Pass in Sweet Home, Oregon at 10:00 a.m. on July 10, 1990. He rattled off the girls weight and bra size but couldnt remember her birthday. Rachanda Pickle's brother, Byron Pickle, was consulted during the state's negotiations with Ackroyd, Marteeny said. Ackroyd had driven to a state highway office in Bend, but returned home after only about an hour. John would later pick up Linda from work, and when the two returned home, they discovered that Rachanda was not there waiting for them. Police would begin to reach out to those close to Rachanda and learned that John had been abusive to Rachanda and her brother in the past. While I'd like to point out that he was already serving five life sentences without the possibility of parole, and was already in poor health at the time charges were filed, it is worth pointing out that this plea deal was agreed upon by Rachanda's living family members primarily, her brother Byron, who had struggled to come to grips with his sister's loss for decades. He remains just one suspect of many in that case, but a strong one nonetheless. The responsibility of speaking for Rachanda rested with her brother, Byron Pickle. A police photo taken inside the Ackroyd home shows Rachanda Pickle's bra. *Wiem, e le wymawiaam imi Rachandy, ale niestety musicie mi wybaczy*13-letnia Rachanda Pickle zagina ze swojego domu w Oregonie w 1990 roku. Ackroyd drove by the woman twice that morning. Thats what pulled our relationship together.. In 1990, Rachanda Pickle lived with her mother, brother and stepfather, John Ackroyd. In the case of Rachanda, however, he told investigators that she had been, as recounted by the Oregonian in their "Ghosts of Highway 20" project: " dumped and buried in the woods or threatened with a knife, tied up and gagged, her body rolled in plastic". Murder suspect Ackroyd found dead in Salem prison cell In fall 2013, according to the unsealed court records, Ackroyd agreed not to seek parole and to decline release even if he became eligible in exchange for his no contest plea in his stepdaughter's death. Rachanda had gone to visit him shortly before her disappearance, and it was initially theorized that she might have gone out to see him. He said he didnt know. Where is she? Linda asked Ackroyd as darkness enveloped the highway compound. She didnt want to be alone with him. "The settlement reached a point where we were able to have the certainty that he would be in prison forever," Marteeny told The Oregonian/OregonLive. He was painting the tailgate. He claimed he invited her to join him on a drive to photograph deer on back roads near the junction. He loved her. The two often went to school with bruises, which they attributed to John's abuse. Ackroyd would recycle the same stories. "My guess is the prosecution was in a bind in terms of how tough this case was and so I think when the state has cases that are weak, they tend to pursue creative options," Beloof said. After all, she's a teenage girl.". According to her brother, Byron, she loved fashion and anything that you'd hear on a top-40 radio station. She was last seen at her home on July 10, 1990. Rachanda's new stepfather, John, worked as a mechanic for the Oregon Highway Division and had already been living at this maintenance complex for over a decade by the time Linda, Byron, and Rachanda moved in. Ackroyd spun the same story from then on. By then, Ackroyd was dead; he had died in prison in late 2016. They also might have belonged to an indigenous person that lived in the area centuries beforehand. In fifth grade, something shifted. One time, she made a scene when it was time to go. He pleaded no contest in her death and agreed not to seek parole for Turner's murder and to decline release even if he became eligible. Within 30 minutes of her mom getting home from work, she'd be right there, hanging on her mom's shirttail". The more that investigators spoke with John Ackroyd, the more troubled they became. For a man suspected of murder, Ackroyd was impassive under intense grilling by Salsbery and McAnulty. Later speaking to the Statesman Journal, Rachanda's mother, Linda, would state: "I can't believe she's a runaway because she was wanting to go school-clothes shopping Sunday night. My children know they did have an Aunt Rachanda.. He was convicted of a sex crime in Minnesota, served seven months in prison, and moved to California. Her bedroom did appear to be a mess, but as Linda would later tell reporters: "Her bedroom looked like an explosion hit it, but that wasn't unusual. The dishes werent in the dishwasher and the floor wasnt vacuumed. SALEM John Arthur Ackroyd, who in 2013 was charged with the 1990 murder of his stepdaughter Rachanda Pickle, has died of natural causes at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. Searches would also be conducted in the area on occasion but were primarily limited to recertification time that local officials needed to continue operating as part of the state's search-and-rescue apparatus. Facebook Rachanda Lea "Chandy" Pickle was a girl who went missing in 1990 in Oregon. Her disappearance set off one of the largest search efforts in Linn County history; her remains were never found. Linn County Sheriff's Office mounted extensive search for Rachanda These are the deadliest national parks in the U.S. Burkina Faso massacre: Survivors accuse government forces. Her disappearance triggered one of the larger searches in the Linn Countys history. Her brother kept an eye on her. Her case remained unsolved. Detectives dug into Kayes killing once more and soon stumbled on their biggest breakthrough. It was a 30-minute drive to the nearest store for milk. Rachanda was noted as standing about four feet tall and weighing approximately 90 pounds at the time of her disappearance, with curly brown hair and brown eyes. I know that my daughters dead, Steve Pickle said in a 2003 newspaper interview. Rachanda Pickle didn't want to be alone with her stepfather, John Ackroyd. There was Ackroyd, standing at the back of his Ford pickup. She was afraid to go home from school; as a result, she often spent the night at friends' homes. He talked his boss into letting him drive 750 miles to California to find out. Rachanda Pickle's brother, Byron Pickle, was consulted during the state's negotiations with Ackroyd, Marteeny said. But they knew Ackroyd was a killer. During the ensuing court case, defense attorneys would argue that John Arthur Ackroyd was slow-witted and mentally deficient, to the point of him being unaware of specific questions asked by investigators. Since investigators had not yet uncovered any physical trace of Rachanda, they (along with prosecutors) were prepared to seek a case centered around a "no-body" homicide, which would require proof that the victim was no longer alive. Rachanda Lea "Chandy" Pickle (1977-1990) - Find a Load the dishwasher. Following his separation from Linda, Rachanda's mother, months later, he would continue to work for the Oregon Highway Division as a mechanic. NKOTB shirt: Asha Degree & Rachanda Pickle John Ackroyd was her third husband. Current Sheriff Tim Mueller was a deputy involved with the search and rescue team in 1990. Lifesaving: Family flees Texas to transgender 'refuge' Minnesota. This time, the DA -- and the cops who believed Ackroyd had gotten away with Kaye Turners killing -- were determined to get the highway worker off the street for good. Due to the three decades that have passed since, however, there are fewer people left to ask those questions many of Rachanda's relatives have passed on, and the ones that live on only have faded memories and mementos to remember her by. They would also spend hours going through the Ackroyd home, taking photographs and looking for any evidence that pointed to a struggle having taken place inside. Michelle Seiber, Rachanda's classmate and friend, had a feeling that her stepdad did something because she was scared of him. In the early morning hours of July 10, 1990 John and Linda Ackroyd left their residence at the Oregon Department of Transportation shops at the Santiam Junction in east Linn County, Oregon. The family had lived at the state highway compound for six years. Word that Ackroyds stepdaughter had vanished spread quickly to neighboring Jefferson County, where Kaye Turner had been killed more than a decade earlier. Foul play is suspected in Rachanda's disappearance due to the circumstances involved. McAnulty, whod been promoted to detective just 10 days earlier, dutifully examined old newspaper articles and reports. Deceased/Not Found - OR - Rachanda Pickle, 13, Santiam Junction, 10