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Interviewer; My Exclusive
interview with Mr. Harry Oakes from Portland, Oregon.
Over the years I’ve interviewed Presidents of countries,
multimillionaires, and yes-even housewives. One of the most interesting
interviews I had was in 2004 when I talked with the dog handler from
Portland, Oregon who located Ashley Pond buried under cement on Ward
Weaver’s property in Oregon City, Oregon in 2002.
I have found that by nature some folks are jealous of other people’s
successes. So in turn, they badmouth those who are successful in hopes
it will boost their own ego. They forget that some people fight back.
One such person is Harry Oakes. He doesn’t get physical though he is a
black belt in Tae Kwon Do, he fights back with documented facts. I must
say, I’ve reviewed his records and they are well documented and support
all of his statements.
I interviewed Harry while he was getting ready to do a story for a TV
show on NBC and we talked in great length about Harry’s success in 36
years of SAR work around the world.
Over the years Harry Oakes has had many roles. 12 years as a police
officer, 25 years as K9 SAR instructor combined with 10 years as a
mountain rescue instructor, and the list goes on and on. He’s been an
EMT during 25 of those years, he’s volunteered for 15 years for the
American Red Cross. He teaches children and adults how to stay safe in
the wilderness, on the city streets, and prepare for disasters such as
earthquakes. He’s been a guide with the Mazamas, he’s taught through
OMSI, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. He’s been hired by numerous
professional firms around the world to lecture on safety. Numerous
governments have brought him in on their disasters to coordinate and
work the scene.
Harry you have many folks who just don’t like you. Why is that?
Harry; I’ve seen some folks who are simply jealous of our success and
over the last 25 years have repeatedly tried to attack my credibility
and my team’s success. They have done this by going through the media,
TV, radio talk shows, and through the newspapers and giving out ONE
SIDED - misinformation.
Fact: Over the last 25 years, each time we’ve performed a search
mission, we document, the date, location, our contact information, time
involved and our findings. Our reports and files have held up under
close review by the;
Oregon Dept. of Justice who did a three-year investigation and found
absolutely no criminal wrong doing on my part nor did I ever have to pay
any fines. They in fact helped me develop the first for profit K9 SAR
Dog team in the nation.
The I.R.S. who audited my records, and found my records were in order
and credible.
The FBI who have used our services around the world. You can bet if I
wasn’t credible or if my team wasn’t credible we never ever would have
been involved in their searches.
Other Government agencies have used us successfully around the world to
determine what really happened to a specific missing person missing in
on foreign soil.
Interviewer: What other governmental agencies are you talking about?
Harry; In the interests of National security, I’d rather not list them
but just say, Govt. agencies and leave it at that. Foreign governments
such as the Island of St Croix USVI, Honduras, Dominican Republic and
Turkey are just some of the countries we’ve assisted.
Several courts though out the nation that have used me to testify as an
expert witness and reviewed my credentials before I gave testimony to
establish my credibility. I testified as an expert in the field of
Search and Rescue, K9 search dog training, training, testing, and
working a search dog. Finding lost persons, scent, scent evidence, and
working disasters, kidnappings and homicides. I’ve had many attorneys
over the years contact me for consulting purposes regarding my expert
opinion on scent, search dogs and animals in general. Capturing,
training, how scent works, etc.
Interviewer: So what do you have to say to those folks in the media and
other searchers who have bad mouthed your efforts to help people during
their time of need?
Harry; Put up or shut the hell up. I’m sick and tired of their B.S. The
Court system accepts my credibility and credentials. That’s all that
matters. That and my documented successes.
Interviewer: Why are all these folks angry with you?
Harry; Because I find the missing when they can’t. It makes them look
bad. It’s so easy to sit back and armchair quarterback over 7,534
missions. In the last 24 years. When someone attacks me, they attack my
search dogs, my other team members, and all of our efforts so I do take
this personally.
We have never seen one single person from any one of these SAR or law
enforcement agencies, who have bad mouthed our unit, and myself, spend
their own money, risk their own lives, to crawl through a collapsed
destroyed building in the U.S.A. or in a foreign country, looking for
the live and the dead victims of earthquakes, bombings, floods, fires,
or other disasters which we've responded to around the world.
We’ve never seen one of these individuals from N.A.S.A.R., Ca. Ore., and
Washington SAR Council, who continue to bad mouth our efforts, wading
through the hot steamy snake, and crocodile infested jungles, in the
Philippines, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Haiti, St Thomas, St Croix,
USVI, and Jamaica, looking for missing victims. Yet we’ve been there.
And we were successful in our searches there. Again all documented.
We’ve never seen any of these folks in the flood-ravaged lands of
Honduras, Haiti, and the Pacific NW looking for drowning victims. Yet
we’ve documented our assistance in Armenia, Philippines, Northridge,
Turkey, Jamaica, and in over seven thousand other search missions around
the world.
Interviewer: Who is we?
Harry; At one point I’ve had over 65 team members. One dog one handler
makes up a team. Currently I have 40 active team members attached to
International K9 Search and Rescue Services. We have doctors, senators,
lawyers, nurses, paramedics, house wives, house dads, people from all
walks of life have joined our teams. I’ve trained over 6,500 search dog
handlers and their dogs around the world. Each one has been successful
in SAR.
Interviewer: Harry you say in your web site “To date, there has been no
factual documented proof of any criminal wrong-doing by you or your team
members. Nothing produced to support anyone's statements of any wrong
doing by You or your team members, by any law enforcement agency or SAR
group”. Have you ever been arrested and charged for any criminal action
of any kind?
Harry; Nothing what so ever. I’ve received one speeding ticket 25 years
ago and two parking tickets. That’s it.
In fact, we have hundred’s of letters from Law enforcement, government
agencies, including three from former Presidents of the USA and one from
former President Aquino of the Philippines expressing their gratitude to
our abilities in helping others in their time of need. We’ve received
many letters of thanks from the families of the victims as well.
Interviewer: Harry you have heard the verbal and written attacks against
you personally. Many Sheriff’s in the state of Oregon and Washington
have made comments such as "Harry’s a controversial figure in Oregon in
regards to SAR work". Why are you so controversial?
Harry; my attorney and myself have asked the various Sheriff’s and SAR
Groups to produce one single document showing factual information
regarding their statements to back up their statements. In over 38 years
of looking for missing people and 25 years working with the search dogs,
while we’ve been providing service to the Sheriff’s departments and to
the private public sector, we have yet to see a single piece of written
documentation to support any of their statements. Nothing at all.
We can produce hundreds of letters and reports in support of everything
we’ve said and done. When we ask the sheriff’s and other K-9 teams
involved to contact our references that support what we’ve done, they
never have. Instead they would rather just continue to verbally sit back
on their hindquarters and verbally attack us, to try to make them look
better and less incompetent.
This after we repeatedly enter the search privately on behalf of the
victim(s) families and find the missing victim(s) in the original search
areas where the sheriff's teams failed to find the missing person(s).
This destroys the sheriff's and Volunteer K-9's credibility, not ours.
Again it’s all documented.
Interviewer: So do you think this an ego issue?
Harry; Yes. HONESTLY. Every time I've been investigated regarding my
search and rescue services and my successes, it's been found that I've
been 100% truthful. I've even taken and passed a polygraph on this
matter. (See the 1998 D.O.J. Audit and I.R.S. Audit reports). The IRS,
DOJ, FBI, NSA, and CIA have checked us out. We continue to be proven
credible beyond reproach.
Interviewer; You say you are “Courtroom Proven”. Which courts?
The courtrooms in Clark and Multnomah County have in the past openly
accepted our training, testing, certification process and our
documentation. We've obtained several search warrants based on our
abilities and results and also given expert testimony in the courts of
law regarding scent, scent evidence, search dogs, and search and rescue.
Again I’ll say, “If it’s good enough for the courts, it ought to be good
enough to the local law enforcement”.
TESTING. My documented searches and success qualifies me as an expert in
the courtroom regarding scent, scent evidence, search dogs, search dog
training, testing and certification. We are one of 200 search and rescue
K-9 teams that is a self-testing dog team. We’re not doing anything
different, then the other 200 search dog teams in the USA and Canada.
(See the 1997 national survey). Yet we don’t see the other K-9 teams
testing and standards under attack by the OSSA. (Oregon State Sheriff’s
Association). Why is that?
Interview; I’m asking you then, Harry why is this?
Harry; It's because we get results when the O.S.S.A. teams have failed
repeatedly. This makes them look bad. See copies of the Eli Kelt, Dela
Carlson, Ashley Pond, and Miranda Gaddis search reports for examples.
“Dateline special “Into Thin Air” segment regarding Ward Weaver and
Ashley Pond murder case in Oregon City, Oregon.
We feel it’s because the O.S.S.A., (Oregon State Sheriff’s Association)
wants everyone to believe their tester is honest, reliable, and
credible.
If that’s the case then, why is it documented that we’ve gone in after
the O.S.S.A. has called off their official search, after they have used
their O.S.S.A. State Certified SAR Dog teams, and they’ve found nothing,
yet we found the victim(s) in their original search areas? Dela Carlson,
Brian Harris, Eli Kelt, Ashley Pond, Scott Spangle Jr. who are just some
of the dead victims listed that we found their remains when the O.S.S.A.
teams couldn’t in the original search areas.
One embarrassing example is the 2002 Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis
search in Oregon City, where the O.S.S.A. teams and even their state
tester with his dog Marty Neiman, and the FBI teams repeatedly went onto
the suspect’s property (Ward Weaver) and searched several suspicious
areas. They repeatedly reported that their teams had found nothing, even
after drilling holes and pumping warm air under a concrete slab the
O.S.S.A. teams stated publicly to the media, Portland Tribune and the
Oregonian Newspaper, "There's nothing under the slab".
In March 2002, I with my SAR Dog Valorie, entered the search on behalf
of Lori, Ashley’s mother. I donated my time and efforts for the search
for Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis. I documented finding Ashley's buried
remains under the concrete slab and Miranda Gaddis in Wards lay down
freezer in Ward Weaver’s kitchen March 30, 2002.
I immediately forwarded my reports to the FBI, OCPD, and to the victim’s
families. This verified by MSNBC Dateline TV Producer Shane Bishop and
Keith Morrison Interviewer for NBC.
In Aug. 2002, the FBI finally dug up Ashley's remains under public
pressure and, right where my SAR dog Valorie indicated, they found
Ashley remains. Between March 2002 and Aug 2002, Ward Weaver moved
Miranda’s remains to a shed. The police did verify that the murdered
victim’s remains had been in the freezer where SAR Dog Valorie had shown
me where they were at the time of their search in March 2002.
If this doesn't prove my SAR Dogs credibility beyond reproach, what
does? SAR Dog Val indicated and I reported there was a body under the
concrete slab. The FBI dug up said body 5 months later right were we
located it during our private search.
We’ve repeatedly documented entering the search after the O.S.S.A. has
called their efforts off and we’ve repeatedly either found the victim,
or found out what had happened to the victim, in the original search
areas. Now whose credibility is really on the line here the O.S.S.A. K-9
teams, or ours? We’ve found every person we’ve looked for or have
determined what really happened to them and the suspect(s) involved in
their disappearance. (This verified by our reports and the local police
reports).
With the POND / Gaddis case, I demanded the O.S.S.A. remove their Ore.
state certification process, reevaluate it, and accept N.A.S.A.R.
(National Association for Search and Rescue) SAR Dog standards which
I.K.9.S.A.R.S. Teams along with 200 other National teams use as a
guideline. As of this writing, the O.S.S.A. Standards are no longer
credible and the O.S.S.A. Certification process is under revision. We
were informed that their state tester has been removed from his role
thanks to my team’s efforts.
Interviewer: Harry some search folks have accused you of showing up on a
search uninvited?
Harry; Again I’ve asked these folks who have made these statements to
come forward with DOCUMENTED PROOF of what they are saying. In 38 years
of looking for missing persons and 24 years with the K9 units, “no one
has been able to provide one single piece of paper to back up their
statements”.
I’ve never done that and never will. It’s unprofessional.
Interviewer; You’ve been attacked by the local paper. What that all
about?
Harry; BAD PR, THE LOCAL MEDIA IS GUILTY ALSO. The local media has a
responsibility to show both sides of each issue. Yet they have failed
miserably in doing this. Every time a statement is made against
I.K.9.S.A.R.S. or myself personally. They print it or discuss it on the
TV, on the radio, or in the newspaper. Yet when I and others have
brought forth documented proof to dispute their statements made against
me or my team members, the media has failed to provide their readers and
viewers with both sides of the issues.
Interviewer; Can you give me an example of what you are talking about?
Example: We’ve responded to Turkey, Honduras, Jamaica, St. Croix USVI.,
and the Dominican Republic. There are no stories done by the local media
on any of those missions. Yet whenever the other K-9 teams do a search,
the media is all over their actions in a positive action. Look at the
coverage NW Medical teams got for responding to the same sites where
we’ve responded. Is this fair?
The Portland Tribune and Gresham Outlook finally became frustrated with
the local law enforcement and SAR team’s lack of results on the Ward
Weaver case. And the one sided articles written by the Oregonian
newspaper.
When I proved to the FBI and OCPD and to the media that my search dog
teams were right all along on the POND / GADDIS search, these newspapers
came forward and wrote the facts about the case to expose the attempted
cover up by unethical dog handlers from the State of Oregon.
The law enforcement teams continue to tell the media, "Oh the bodies
were moved" and "weren't there when the O.S.S.A. teams searched Wards
property". Now you tell me how do you move a body buried in a barrel
under four feet of rocks, dirt and concrete?
Even Wards son admitted his father Ward had killed both girls and buried
Ashley right where my SAR Dog Valorie and I located her remains under
the concrete.
Here’s an example of the one sided reporting done by the Daily News in
Longview, Wa.
Pat, the one-sided idiot reporter, only covers the Sheriff’s statements
and Marty’s statements. But if you look at the documented facts, it
shows that I told the truth the whole time. So where’s the fairness
here? Let’s examine their statements and my responses.
Then you make an informed decision.
Checkered past follows search and rescue worker to Longview
By Pat Forgey
Mar 24, 2005 - 07:46:00 am PST
“It was the stuff of a hero story: Harry E. Oakes and his search dog,
Valorie, finding Honduran flooding victims following Hurricane Mitch in
1998.
The Longview dog handler and his canine partner were among the search
teams featured Sunday on "Storm Stories," the Weather Channel top-rated
show.
In the show, firefighters in Honduras praised teams such as Oakes and
Valorie for their rescue work and for taking their dogs to a local
orphanage to cheer up traumatized children.
Despite the favorable portrayal, and Oakes' recent move to the local
area, Oakes is persona non grata in local search and rescue circles.
Officials say they're wary of Oakes' checkered financial past and his
claimed record of success.”
(HERE THE REPORTER SUGGESTS WRONG DOING REGARDING “FINANCIAL PAST and
CLAIMED RECORD OF SUCCESS” Yet when I’ve been audited by the IRS and
DOJ, my records were acceptable to these investigating agencies. So if I
passed their scrutiny, then where’s the problem here?
"He is no longer eligible to do search and rescue in Cowlitz County,
like in a number of other areas," said Art Jordan, volunteer coordinator
for Cowlitz County Search and Rescue and member of the state's Emergency
Management Council.
What Art failed to state in this article was that I have been personally
hired by Cowlitz County SAR to teach their SAR team’s rope rescue on
several occasions and have been involved in numerous searches with their
agency before I went private.
Art failed to note that I was removed from the Washington SAR resource
list after I filed a written complaint to the Governor’s office, against
the Skamania County SAR Coordinator, for his actions where he repeatedly
used poor judgment, that we can prove cost several innocent people their
lives. Now why didn’t Art want that information to come out?
”Oakes, 49, acknowledges that county sheriffs who head up search and
rescue operations often don't like him, but that's because his work is
so good.
"Sheriffs often get upset when we come in and find people they can't,"
he said in an interview last week.
Oakes claims to have found the bodies of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis,
two Oregon City girls murdered by neighbor Ward Weaver in 2002, but
others dispute that.
"Nobody used him in Oregon City, because he's not reliable," said Marty
Neiman, with Search One K-9 Detection, an Oregon nonprofit called in by
authorities investigating the case.”
This statement coming from the very same man who told the FBI and OCPD
there wasn’t a body under the concrete slab. Marty Neiman the state of
Oregon’s certification tester? This from the very same person who has
over the years repeatedly gone on talk shows and bad-mouthed Harry every
chance he gets to make himself look better. Shame on you Marty. You make
yourself look bad by not finding the victims in the original search area
in the first place.
”Neiman said Oakes showed up on the scene and volunteered his services
but was not used in the official search. In a later, unofficial search,
Oakes' search results were so general as to be useless, Neiman said.”
Marty states my “search results were to general”. My report states my
search dog gave a death alert where the concrete slab meets the ground
right behind Ward Weaver’s house. How more precise can I get?
In the end, I was 100% correct in reading my dog’s alerts. Marty was
100% wrong. Whose credibility is really under attack here? Not mine.
I’ve repeatedly found victims in the original search areas where Marty
and his teams told the sheriff’ there was no victim to be found. Now why
can our teams go in and find the victim dead when Marty and his teams
can’t?
”Oakes runs International K-9 Search and Rescue Services, a for-profit
organization, a rarity in search and rescue circles. In fact, Oakes
describes his company as "the only for-profit K-9 search and rescue in
the nation."
He typically charges $200 an hour for staging and searching, as well as
$25 an hour for travel time, according to his website. He said much of
his work is searching for pets, which Oakes said can be more profitable
than searching for people.
"People won't hesitate paying for a dogs or cat," he said. "People
generally won't pay you to search for their missing child."
Cowlitz County Coroner Mike Nichols, a former Search and Rescue
coordinator for the county, said volunteer search and rescue crews don't
agree with the concept of for-profit search and rescue services.
"Other than Harry Oakes, I don't know of anybody else who hires out to
distraught families and promises to find their kin," Nichols said.”
Why doesn’t Mike tell the reporter how much he gets paid for looking for
missing persons with the Sheriff’s office? Why is that so different? Why
does the National park system and the state of Oregon along with several
other states possess the laws that allow them to CHARGE for search and
rescue services?
”Nichols said Cowlitz County's search and rescue volunteers will look
for anyone who is missing and don't ask for payment. Volunteers tend to
spend a lot of their own money on equipment, training and
transportation. "We only work as volunteers here," he said.”
Again, what Nichols is forgetting to tell everyone is that, he’s paid,
so why is that different? I’ve been through the Law Enforcement
academies, taught SAR for Polk, Morrow, Clark and Skamania Counties. Is
Nichols afraid of the competition?
”Nichols and Jordan said Oakes' reputation in Oregon preceded him when
he came to Washington from Portland a year ago.
"He wasn't welcome within search camps within his own state," Nichols
said.
What Nichols and Jordon forget to say, is;
1). Polk and Clackamas Counties in Oregon. Clark and Skamania Counties
in Washington, along with the National Park Services, used my search dog
teams on a regular basis from 1986 to 1994.
2). ”I wasn’t welcome within search camps within his own state of
Oregon” only after I testified against the Oregon State Sheriff’s
Association on House Bill 3093, where I testified on the mismanagement
of SAR in Oregon that have cost lives. I was told by Lt Neil James
that,” if I testified against the OSSA at the HB hearing, I would never
be used by the O.S.S.A. again”.
I testified and told the truth. The Oregon State Police, The Oregon
Mountain Rescue Council, the Oregon Fire Fighters Association all
supported me in my efforts on HB 3093. Trying to update SAR laws in the
state of Oregon which hadn’t been updated since 1974. Because of my
testimony, the O.S.S.A. refuses to use my services because I made them
look bad in the OREGON SENATE.
In Oregon, Oakes formerly was with Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs and
Help Us Find You, Inc., which both were registered as nonprofit
organizations. In the late 1990s, both came under investigation by the
Oregon Department of Justice, which claimed that Oakes was using the
nonprofits as a tax dodge.”
If that’s true then why have I been audited by the IRS and came out
clean, and have tax records to prove it? We have tax records to show
this is an untrue statement.
"He uses M.W.S.D. and H.U.F.Y. to avoid paying taxes by virtue of their
tax-exempt status," the department said in a 1997 court settlement with
Oakes”.
There was no criminal or civil charges thus no court settlement, so
where does he get his information? This is all public record.
”At the time, the agency said, Oakes did not have a personal bank
account and used the nonprofits' accounts as his own, paying his
personal and living expenses out of them”.
That’s not true. It was my business account under my name that showed
all payments in and out for M.W.S.D.. Why don’t they discuss how my
records proved that I paid for all of the non profit phone bills,
electrical bills, office supplies, postage, and every cent brought in
and spent out was accounted for? They won’t say this because it destroys
THEIR Credibility.
”The department signed an order with Oakes forbidding him to represent
himself as a charity of any kind or representing his professional
locating services as a public service.”
The department also helped me start my for profit business, at their
suggestion.
”Oakes said he was cleared by the investigation. We came out squeaky
clean," he said. "There was no criminal action brought against us."
The department did require Oakes to pay $7,500, but suspended the fine
on the condition he not violate the order. Oakes said the fine was never
imposed.
The DOJ records prove that I was telling the truth.
More inquiries
An Oregon Justice Department concern involved Oakes' search for bodies
at the site of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in
Oklahoma City.
The agency said Mountain Wilderness received a $4,000 donation from a
canine club in Oklahoma. Oakes immediately was reimbursed for $3,000 in
"expenses" he claimed but failed to document, according to the justice
department.
This isn’t true at all. What I did was totally legal per M.W.S.D. non
profit bylaws. The reimbursement was for money M.W.S.D. owed me for the
past year. For the bills I paid out of my own account. Again all money
coming in and leaving M.W.S.D. was accounted for with receipts. Every
single penny was accounted for. Ask the DOJ. They can validate my
statements. They did the audit and said ,”my record keeping was
remarkable”.
”Oakes later started International K-9 Search and Rescue Services, his
current for-profit company. The 1997 agreement between Oakes and state
of Oregon bars him from charging anyone for services if he has
volunteered in the search for the same victim.
Oakes, who answers his phone "search and rescue," said he is careful to
make it clear to potential clients that he is not with a government
agency.”
That’s correct because we’re a professional agency that provides
experience professional services.
“The Weather Channel program made no mention of Oakes' for-profit
status, but it did note that he and a fellow dog handler had to pay
their own way to Honduras. Contributions were not sought on the
program.”
Gee, they finally told some truth in this report. We’ve paid for our own
transportation in the Northridge, Honduras, Philippine, Turkey
earthquakes along with the Oklahoma City Bombing disaster.
“Weather Channel spokeswoman Kathy Lane said Oakes' business dealings
were unrelated to its program. "That would have nothing to do with the
story we portrayed," she said. Lane said Towers Productions Inc. of
Chicago produces Storm Stories under contract. Towers officials were
unavailable for comment.
In addition to questions about Oakes' financial dealings, search and
rescue officials have doubts about the quality of Oakes' search work,
said Cowlitz County Sheriff's Deputy Chuck Dunnavant, the county's
search and rescue coordinator.
"He'll point to a spot on the river and say 'He drowned right there,'
and there's no way to prove it," Dunnavant said.”
Why doesn’t Chuck ad that his own dive team verified our search dogs
findings in front of the victim’s families? At the time of our search,
where the divers were told the victims had drowned in 80 feet of swift
current water, the divers found the victims boat and other gear. This
after they failed to find anything before our arrival. Oops, if Chuck
told that truth, it may discount his statement.
”While with Mountain Wilderness, Oakes participated in high-profile
search for two Longview men, Larry Mansur and Dennis Svoboda, who were
missing and presumed dead after a boating accident on the Columbia River
off Cowlitz County in 1996.
During the hunt, Oakes told officials that Valorie had found the spot
where they died, Nichols said. Months later, one of the bodies was found
upriver from that spot, leading local search and rescue personnel to
doubt the validity of Oakes "find."
"I've never heard of a body going upstream," Nichols said.”
Mr. Nichols isn’t a very educated man in regards to water, water
currents, and bodies. Otherwise he never would have made such a stupid
statement. Bodies have repeatedly been documented moving down stream and
upstream with tidal current influences, as well as heavy ship traffic,
that can trap a victim and carry them for miles under their drag loads.
Some bodies have been discovered up to 20 miles away from the site where
they drowned due to ship traffic.
THE OSSA tester and tests aren’t credible. We allowed the O.S.S.A.
Tester to test us on the O.S.S.A. K-9 standards. This after the tester
openly bragged on the "LARS LARSON RADIO TALK SHOW" that, "he would see
that Harry would never pass his tests". This statement was documented
and is on file with MOBA MEDIA.
When I took the O.S.S.A. K-9 test, this individual not only failed me
and my search dog Valorie at the test, but when I asked this individual
(Marty Neiman) to show me where the scent tubes were hidden on the first
cadaver search, the tester failed to find a single one himself. Yet he
was the tester who hid the items and bragged "Harry would never pass any
of his tests". When the scent tubes were finally located and opened in
front of witnesses, we discovered the scent tubes were empty and didn’t
contain any scent at all. The witnesses and myself inspected each tube
in front of Marty. Pam Milleran being one of those witnesses. She also
verified the scent tubes were empty. (This proved Marty tried to set my
search dog Valorie and I up for a failure test). Now how honest is this?
When Valorie and I retook the state cadaver test, Valorie hit on
numerous decomposing sites. When the tester brought out the "SCENT TUBE"
I examined the scent tube for the smell of "pseudo scent", there was no
scent detected.
I’ve been testing with pseudo scent for the last 24 years and is
qualified to determine if it was used or wasn’t used properly. What’s
wrong with this test? Let’s talk about a credibility problem here. The
tester is the same person who over the last 24 years had bad-mouthed me
and my teams for the documented successful work I’ve done locally and
internationally.
Lars Larson's radio talk show still maintains, "Harry's search teams
can't find a body in a graveyard". Even after I’ve proved I was 100%
accurate on the Ashley Pond Case. So where's the truth in the media
there? This statement came from the very same State Cert. tester who
told OCPD and the FBI (Marty Neiman) that there was, ”no body under the
concrete slab”. Leading the detectives on a false trail and costing the
FBI and OCPD to continue their effortless search at the cost of over
$175,000 dollars.
If I.K.9.S.A.R.S. sar dog teams had been brought into the search back in
Jan. 2002 when Ashley Pond first disappeared, I felt we would have
located Ashley's remains like we did, identified the killer(s), and
Miranda Gaddis would still be alive today. The FBI and OCPD would have
been able to do their jobs effectively saving a human life, saving
another woman from being raped, and saving tax payers $175,000 dollars
in the search efforts. We actually documented finding 3 bodies. We
turned over one of the body parts to Oregon City Police Dept. on a third
body we located. This verified by OCPD files and reports. This again
after they (The FBI, Oregon City PD, Search One K-9 Detection and the
other search teams had already searched the area and found nothing).
My search dog and I DESTROYED THE CREDIBILITY OF THE O.S.S.A. K-9
TESTER.
If a person was to believe in the O.S.S.A. test as a true honest test of
a dog team, then that meant that my search dog Valorie and I weren’t
qualified to fly overseas to Turkey in Aug. and Nov. of 1999, and search
for victims buried in the earthquakes.
Yet, it’s been proven through documentation and proof provided by
photos, witness statements, and actual recoveries, info provided to the
Turkish and US Government officials, that in both of the 1999 Turkey
earthquakes, that SAR Dog Valorie and I documented finding 71 buried
dead and 14 live buried victims. Just by SAR Dog Valorie and I making
one single find of a live or dead person, this totally destroys the OSSA
K-9 testing credibility completely.
COURT ROOM PROVEN. My documentation and credibility regarding expert
witness testimony in criminal cases, was established and has held up, in
the Clark County Courtroom Washington State Vs Beeson. And other
criminal court cases where I’ve been called to testify. The state of
Oregon Medical Examiner signed a presumptive death certificate on Dela
Carlson based on my search dog Ranger’s findings of Dela’s remains,
reports and test results. (This after local search teams OSSA, and
Search One K-9 detection teams and failed to find any trace of her).
Fact: We’ve won numerous state, county, and national awards for our work
in search and rescue.
Fact: My teams and I have found most people dead and some still alive in
the ORIGINAL SEARCH AREAS, when the local OSSA K-9 and SAR teams failed
to find them. Tim Bunner, Jay Burroughs, Eddy Zawaski, Joey Lefler,
Butch Huston, Nathen Montz, Eli Kelt, Abe Ellis, Brian Harris, Dela
Carlson, just to name a few victims. Many more on file.
Fact: We’re the only search dog team in the world to win the prestige’s
Higgens and Langley Swift Water Rescue Award, and the National Jefferson
award. We’ve received Two letters from President George Bush Sr. and one
from President Bill Clinton for our outstanding work. We've also
received letters from the President of the Philippines and Honduras for
our rescue efforts in their countries.
Fact: We have the skills to find the missing. We have proven and
qualified ourselves numerous times over the last 7,540 missions. We are
the most successful search dog team in the world in regards to finding
both missing people and pets.
Fact: We're the only dog team in the world, ever to be invited in to
Jamaica to work alongside the Miami office of the FBI, and local police
reference the Claudia Kirshock case
Interviewer: I’ve heard the comment that you are preying on victims in
their time of need”.
Harry; Other comments we’ve heard is, " We’re preying on vulnerable
people during their time of need". My response is this. Any agency,
public or private, which provides professional qualified services to a
family in need, isn't "preying on them in their time of need". If that
is a true, then other professional like us like police officers,
paramedics, doctors, nurses, medical examiners, lawyers, and ministers,
are all preying on these poor people also. So why are their actions any
different? They all either volunteer their time or getting paid to
provide a service to people in need just like we do. We’re no different.
Fact: Each client is given a business contract. They’re required to read
and sign the contract before we start on a search. This contract
explains in detail what we can and cannot provide, and our chances of
success in the search efforts. They also are instructed to retain a copy
of the contract. It also explains what the client will or won’t be
required to pay for the search effort.
FACT: We are a licensed business in the state of Washington to perform
our search and rescue services around the world.
FACT: We have documented donating an average of over $47,000 dollars a
year in SAR Services to our community regarding missing persons and pets
for the last 24 years.
Our References:
Charlie Ringo (My Attorney) Bend, Oregon. cringo@teleport.com Charlie
was with me during the 1998 Oregon D.O.J. AUDIT, and can provide
documented information to show that:
1). We cooperated with the audit.
2). That I have always told the truth in my business dealings and
documentation
Of search reports.
3). There were no criminal or civil actions brought against Mr. Oakes
when the
Audit report was completed.
Retired Polk County Deputy Sheriff Bill Sealy. (503) 623-9123 Polk Co.
SAR. (Known Harry for over 10 years). He can testify to Harry's team’s
successes.
Kris DeSylvia (503) 231-1600. Email: kris@wtpdx.com
Kris performed an independent investigation on the Oklahoma City Bombing
Disaster Response by Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs. She can provide
first hand knowledge that Mr. Oakes was honest in his response and what
really occurred there.
Michelle Keating (Dog Handler) Email:michellerae52@comcast.net (360)
256-4822. One of I.K.9.S.A.R.S. Employees. She's been present with Harry
on numerous search missions in the USA and in Honduras. Michelle can
verify Harry’s passing of all I.K.9.S.A.R.S. Documented K-9 tests.
Michelle can attest to their success in Honduras and on numerous other
search missions.
Susan Royce (K-9 Search & Rescue Coordinator in Alaska). Email: svroyce@hotmail.com
She can verify Harry's teaching abilities and the politics in SAR work.
Marla Petal. Email: mpetal@imagins.com Witness to Harry and Val's
numerous finds in Turkey in the first earthquake response.
Riley and Tana Wooten (Group Leader through the Fire Dept. Current
instructor for the Police Academy) Email: rileywooten@hotmail.com
Witnessed Harry and Michelle's work in Honduras with their search dogs.
Lives in Missouri. (573) 774-4020.
Mary Kuhn. (Client). Mary can testify to Harry's credibility and work
and the total incompetents of the Clark County Sheriff's office and the
Portland FBI, after her daughter was kidnapped and transported to
MEXICO. Harry assisted in finding the four kidnapped kids and returning
them safely to their families. .
Janice Saukko (503) 458-6137 It was her mother's remains that we found
in the original search area in Clatsop Co. when OSSA State Cert. SAR Dog
teams failed to find her remains and called off their search.
Fact: We have thousands and I mean THOUSANDS of satisfied customers
around the world.
Why hasn’t the media interviewed any of them to get their side of the
story and show that we are honest and brought closure to their cases
when no one else would or could?
Interviewer: Let’s talk for a moment about scent. What is scent?
Harry: Scent is the dead skin cells (10,000 pieces per minute), that is
dropped onto the ground while a person or animal is moving.
Interviewer: How long can scent be detected?
Harry: Inside a structure up to 100 years or longer depending on the
contamination, containment, and environmental conditions. Outside we’ve
successfully detected scent over a hundred years old.
Interviewer: So you’re telling me you’ve detected scent over a hundred
years old? Can you give me a documented example?
Harry: Sure, when I was teaching in St Croix USVI we were there with the
local K9 sar dog teams in training and the local police. My search dog
Valorie went over to an old sugar cane field and alerted at a specific
location. We dug up an old grave. The forensic teams determined these
human remains were buried in the late 1800’s. Back in the days when
slaves were used for labor, if the person died, they were buried right
where they died with no head stone marker. This is what we were told by
the local police. The police believe my dog Valorie located an old slave
grave.
Interviewer: Some folks are on the belief that a search dog can’t follow
a scent outside after 48 hours. Is this true?
Harry: It’s pure nonsense. We’ve successfully determined a valid track
of a missing person in Vancouver BC Canada after he left his house a
year before we were called in. It was determined that he committed
suicide. Two of our search dogs tracked his scent through a wooded area
to a water source where he drowned himself.
We’ve also documented hundred’s of cases, all validated by law
enforcement, where we’ve tracked a missing person months after they have
disappeared and located their remains.
Interviewer: So why the difference of opinions on scent?
Harry: When I first was being taught how to track, my instructor through
Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs informed me that no scent could be tracked
after one week. I believed this. But over the 7,280 calls we’ve received
and tracks we’ve completed, we, along with other dogs teams throughout
the world have repeatedly proven this information isn’t true at all.
We repeatedly have success in tracking victims that have disappeared
weeks, months, later from when they disappeared.
Interviewer: What age do you like to start training your search dogs?
Harry: I like to start them as puppies to move through the basics in
socialization and bonding and past the behavior issues of biting,
chewing, peeing, etc. But we’ve trained dogs as old as 10 years old for
searching.
Interviewer: What breed of dog makes the best search dog?
Harry: There isn’t one breed that is best. Each breed or mix of breed
offers something different to each search case. Bloodhounds, coon
hounds, beagles, bassets are great trackers and air scenting dogs.
German Shepherds, golden retrievers, labs, standard poodles also have
great tracking noses. We’ve trained all breeds and all mixes for
tracking, trailing and air-scenting.
Everything from a wiener dog for confined space SAR, to a great dane and
everything in between.
I have an active team right now in Kentucky that uses Jack Russell’s.
They are fantastic search dogs because of their drive. I personally use
border collies because of their work drive.
In a rubble site I find the small to medium size dogs can get in and out
of the rubble areas ok. Where the larger breeds such as the Golden
Retrievers and German shepherds have trouble getting into the tight
spots. They can still do a great job, but when you’re crawling through
the confined spaces it’s nice to have your dog by your side to help you
locate live and dead victims.
Interviewer: Do you train your search dogs for one specific task?
Harry: Absolutely not. I think that’s ridiculous. We’re an international
team which means one week we might be in the jungles of the Philippines
looking for buried victims in an earthquake and the next week in
California tracking an Alzheimer patient or searching for a drowning
victim. So all of our dog teams are trained for all aspects of K 9 sar.
They are trained to track, trail, and air scent. They are trained for
live and dead human searches to include forensic scent evidence.
Scent discrimination.
Interviewer: Are you cocky about your attitude in teaching K9 SAR and
working sar dogs?
Harry: Nope not at all. A search dog keeps you humble. I’m very
confident. Some people might portray that as being cocky. Without the
search dog, I’m simply a ground searcher out there searching for
victims. Without me the handler, the dog is just a dog. Together we make
a proven successful search team.
Interviewer: Harry I’ve noticed that you don’t allow pinch collars,
shock collars, choke chains. Why is that?
Harry: I’ve developed a policy and training procedure that’s called
Love, Hugs, and Kisses. We reward our search dogs during training and
work with praise, love, hugs, and kisses. Never food rewards. We don’t
use choke chains, shock collars, or pinch collars as these are cruel.
If you love your dog as you well should, why would you hurt them and
make them respond out of fear instead of love and mutual respect? I’ve
trained thousands of dogs of all breeds with out these mid-evil torture
devices. If you’re training with those devices you are training out of a
fear response. Which is more humane?
Plus collars kill dogs. We’ve lost two search dogs to collars. One got
caught on another search dogs jaw while playing and choked to death. The
other got caught on a fence. So absolutely no collars of any kind are
allowed on our team dogs.
The harness is also used as a seat belt for the dogs. You have control
of the whole dog and we buckle them in to the vehicle or aircraft when
we’re flying.
Interviewer: You have been called a real hard ass by your own employees.
Why is that? You do a background check on each volunteer, they all must
be non smokers, no drugs are allowed and if they drink alcohol, they
aren’t allowed anywhere near your training or work sites for a min. of 8
hours.
Harry: (Laughing) yes I am. I take our job seriously. We have human and
animal lives at stake. This isn’t a game. This is my career. I take it
seriously. One in every 200 applicants makes it through our training
program. It’s very time consuming. If a handler is under the influences
of drugs they aren’t any good to us. Same with alcohol consumption. I
have a drink now and then when I’m off duty. A beer or glass of wine
with dinner. But I know my limitations. The last thing I need is a drunk
team member trying to rappel over a cliff to rescue someone else.
Interviewer: You’ve written sar dogs standards for F.E.M.A. (Federal
Emergency Management Agency) and N.A.S.A.R. (National Association for
Search and Rescue). Along with standards for NATO Disaster response
teams, St Croix K9 SAR, Turkey K9 SAR, Philippine K9 SAR, and numerous
other sar dog teams through out the world. Why do they turn to you for
these standards?
Harry: I was approached by members of FEMA and NASAR in the late 1980’s.
Several people besides myself put our input into these standards.
Interviewer: Then why aren’t you an active member with NASAR or FEMA?
Harry: They have become very political. I hate politics. As you can see
by this interview I deal with ugly politics each and every day. I’m hear
to teach and work my dog teams. Nothing else. I’m hear for the victim(s)
out there. I don’t want to sit behind a desk and wear a suit and tie.
That’s not me.
Interviewer: You use your search dogs to find lost pets?
Harry: Yes we do. They need assistance just like a missing human does.
Interviewer: Why is it that only a few teams in the USA use their search
dogs to find both missing people and lost pets? I don’t understand this.
Why isn’t everyone doing it?
Harry: Some teams believe that searching for a pet or animal will
destroy your credibility in the courtroom. I’ve found this not to be
true at all. It’s never ever been an issue. In fact just the opposite.
When you can track a missing dog who has been missing for over a week
through down town Portland, Oregon right to where it is being held, that
proves your search dogs tracking abilities. We’ve done this over and
over again all documented by date, time, location, names of people and
pets involved and search results.
The truth of the matter is the folks that don’t want to track pets are
lazy. They don’t feel it’s important enough for them to go walking in
the rain, snow, and hot sun to do the job. Which doesn’t make sense to
me. They have a search dog. If their dog comes up missing what are they
going to use to go find it?
Scent is scent to a search dog. Whether you’re searching for a live or
dead victim or evidence at a crime scene such as a knife, human remains,
hair, teeth or a firearm. The search dog doesn’t care.
I feel it has made us better searchers for missing people. You are out
there looking for scent and scent evidence. (Clues to confirm why your
search dog is tracking the direction it is tracking).
Do you want someone out there who tracks missing people four times a
month or missing people and lost pets twice a day each and every day?
Most search dog teams have an average success of 25%. We have a
documented success average of 97%. That’s either finding the missing
person or pet or determining what really happened to them.
Interviewer: In one of your cases you tracked a missing person who was
in a car. Can this really be done?
Harry: Yes. I’ve actually done this successfully on 3 missing person
cases and on 15 missing pet cases to where we found what or who we were
looking for. One was a little girl who had been kidnapped in Kentucky.
Tracking a scent escaping from a vehicle takes a long time. A lot of
hours actually tracking and is very dangerous. It’s also very hard on
the search dog’s feet. Pounding the pavement so to speak. Because of the
danger involved I rarely do this kind of tracking. Many tracking teams
throughout the USA have done it successfully and I have been teaching
teams how to track missing persons in vehicles since 1990.
Interviewer; I’ve reviewed your record keeping, your photos, your
awards, letters, and must say, I’m very impressed. Why do you do this
job when everyone appears to hate you for doing it?
Harry; I grew up in the Military. I was involved in the Cub scouts, Boy
Scouts, and Explorer Programs. I worked in the Military when I became of
age to serve our nation and then got out of the Army to work as a police
officer. I find the work rewarding. I still believe in GOD, APPLE PIE,
and the American Way. I believe in Truth, Justice, and above all, I have
to answer to God when all is said and done. And I’m damn proud of my
achievements. I’ve saved countless lives around the world and in the
end, I can say I have made a difference. I’ve spent my own money,
donated countless hours to serve mankind.
Interviewer: We’ll on that note I’m going to end the interview. I want
to thank you for your time and on behalf of the people you have provided
service to, I want to say “THANK YOU for a job well done”. I’m very
impressed.” Good Luck in your future endeavors.
Harry; Thank you
DOCUMENTATION:
Our Human Missions.
• 10 dead human finds documented in the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing
Disaster. Findings on file with OCFD and OCPD.
* 14 dead animal finds and 4 live animal finds documented after the 1995
Skeleton Fires in Bend, Oregon. Findings on file with BPD.
* 29 dead human finds documented by the Fire Dept in Honduras after
Hurricane Mitch struck 1998. Findings on file with the Government of
Honduras and the American Conciliate. (Harry and Valorie won a
Humanitarian award for their work in Honduras from the President of
Honduras).
* 71 documented dead human and 14 live human finds documented by the
American Embassy and Turkish Government in searches performed in both of
the 1999 Turkey Earthquakes by Harry and SAR Dog Valorie.
* Oregon Department of Justice 1997 Audit of Mr. Oakes files show that
his record keeping is accurate.
* Miami Office of the FBI established Mr. Oakes' credibility before
using his search dog services in Jamaica on the Claudia Kirschoch case
where SAR Dog Valorie did establish a valid track after 45 days and did
locate scent evidence and positively identifying a murder suspect and
his vehicle. SAR Dog Valorie is the first search dog ever to be allowed
into Jamaica for a search mission.
* Clark Co. Vancouver, Washington District Attorney's office established
Mr. Oakes as an expert witness in a court of law regarding scent, scent
evidence and training, testing, and working search dogs on crime scenes.
(State of Washington, Clark County VS. K. Beeson Case. (Kidnapping
Charges).
* Copies of Search Warrants issued in Arkansas, Tennessee, Oregon,
Washington, Ohio, and Jamaica, based on Harry's search dogs and scent
evidence available upon request.
• Valorie flew over 650 times in cabin, without incident. *Valorie's SAR
Dog record for searches in Canada on file with RCMP.
• Portland Office of the FBI established Mr. Oakes and Valorie's
credibility Aug. 2002 when Harry and Valorie were the only search dog
team to locate the buried remains of Ashley Pond thus also leading law
enforcement to the covered body of Miranda Gaddis and a third skeleton
human remains nearby yet to be identified.
• 12-02. Harry with SAR Dog Valorie flew to the Dominican Republic to
assist the US Embassy and family of Sean Stover in locating Sean's
remains. Sean was thought to have been kidnapped. It took SAR Dog
Valorie 5 minutes of searching to determine that Sean drowned in the
ocean at the Bay of Eagles near the Haitian Border.
Harry E. Oakes Jr. (SAR Dog Handler / SAR Coordinator). Hm (360)
414-8093
Mobile (503) 705-0258. Harry was involved in Law Enforcement in 1972 and
became involved in SAR. In 1986, Harry became involved in Mountain
Rescue and K-9 SAR. Since 1986.
Mr. Oakes has documented # 7,489 call out missions, with 3,437
documented finds & assisted finds, of people, pets, suspect
identifications, and evidence. Documentation of credibility in local
court systems, search missions, and awards, on file for review at our
office. This is a world record in # of search missions performed and
successful finds in the history of search and rescue (SAR).
Harry has trained over 6,500 dogs and handlers all over the world for
SAR. He's won many awards for life saving and community service to
include the Higgens and Langley Swift Water Rescue Award, the National
Jefferson Award, The International K-9 Services Life Saving Award, and
three letters from the President of The United States of America.
Harry a former police officer of 12 years, Emergency Medical Tech of 26
years, and employed full time as the coordinator for K-9 SAR Services,
is currently on call 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to
respond anywhere in the world to locate missing people or pets.
Harry also developed the Help Us Find You Child Safety Program, which
has been taught to over 5,600 schools, churches, camps and other
children's safety events. Through radio, TV, and school presentations,
Harry's H.U.F.Y. program has documented 16 lives saved to date. This
program teaches children and their parents, what to do if they get lost
in the wilderness, how to be prepared, stay in one place, stay warm, dry
and alive, signal for help, when it's OK to talk to strangers, and
finding safe help. This program won the KPTV “For Kids Sake Award”.
Also, Harry teaches city survival stranger danger programs, saying NO to
drugs, gangs, cigarette smoking and drugs. Disaster preparedness. What
to do before, during, and after a disaster. Harry specializes in finding
missing children who are lost, missing, runaways, kidnap and murdered
victims. Harry never gets paid during disasters. He pays for his own
airfare, takes time off work, pays for his own shots, and the
specialized equipment used on scene.
SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. SAR Dog Valorie was a 14-1/2 year old, Border
Collie, Schipperke, and Mutt Mix. Valorie was saved from the dog pound
at age 5 months and trained for SAR. (Search and Rescue) by her handler
Harry. Valorie is Harry's 3rd search dog personally. Valorie Oakes, is
an internationally certified search and rescue service dog through
I.K.9.S.A.R.S.
SAR Dog Valorie has documented 5,800 call out Missions with 1,502
documented finds & assisted finds of people, pets, suspect
identifications, and evidence. This is a World Record. Photographs of
both Harry and Valorie can be reviewed in People Magazine Nov. 30, 98
issue page# 61. Valorie documented 10 dead human finds in the 1995
Oklahoma City Bombing Disaster.
"Valorie's Valor". A book telling Valorie's story about being saved from
the dog pound, trained for search and rescue and locating victims in the
Oklahoma City Bombing Disaster. Author, Joanne Cook-Cramberg (918)
622-3932. 2433 South 108th East Ave. Tulsa, Ok. 74129. Cost $10.00
dollars. SAR Dog Valorie died in Harry’s arms Jan. 09-09. She is truly
missed.
After Hurricane Mitch struck Honduras in 1998, Harry used his own money,
took time off work and flew himself and his search dog Valorie down to
Tegucigalpa, Honduras and donated his search efforts. SAR Dog Valorie
found 29 dead human remains buried in the ruins in 5 days. In both of
the 1999 Turkey Earthquakes, Valorie found 71 dead and 14 alive humans.
SAR Dog Valorie was the only dog with her handler Harry invited back by
the Turkish Government to help teach K-9 SAR after the first earthquake
to their search and rescue teams.
SAR Dog Valorie is the first search dog ever to be allowed into Jamaica
for a search mission. Valorie is the only search dog to locate the
buried remains of Ashley Pond in March 2002. Her remains were found
wrapped in plastic, stuffed into a barrel, buried under dirt, gravel and
concrete. This documented by the Police and Media Aug. 2002.
Harry just returned from St. Croix USVI where he started the first all
African American K-9 Search dog Team and the only search dog teams in
the US Virgin Islands.
SAR Dog Willow is a 4 year old border collie. She was rescued from
Seattle Border Collie rescue and started training with SAR Dog Valorie
and handler – instructor Mr. Harry Oakes, March of 2007. SAR Dog Willow
has documented 2,075 searches, finding 490 victims.
SAR Dog Tyler is a 1 year old border collie. McNab. He was rescued from
Seattle Border Collie rescue and started training with SAR Dog Willow in
2009. SAR Dog Tyler has documented 500 search and rescue cases with 145
documented finds.
I’ve ran a successful non-profit from 1986 to 1997.
From 1997 to Current date, I’ve been managing a successful for-profit
professional K-9 SAR teams.
I was the only search dog handler in the world invited back to Turkey
after working the earthquake in 1999 to teach USAR K9 search and rescue.
I was the only K9 handler in the world to be invited to teach K9 search
and rescue and start a search rescue team in St Croix USVI.
Our documentation will stand up in any courtroom. That’s all that really
matters. Not the political B.S. nor the one sided attacks by jealous dog
handlers, sheriff’s officials, and ill-informed media writers.
Respectfully,
Mr. Harry E. Oakes Jr. K-9-1.
International K-9 Search and Rescue Handler
Instructor. BPST#9863.
Harry a former Law Enforcement officer of 12 years, an EMT of 26 years,
combined with SAR work since 1972, brings forth an expertise second to
no one.
International K-9 Search and Rescue Services is a professional K-9
Search and Rescue Team based out of Longview, Wa. We are the most
successful search dog team in the USA. Not one agency has come forward
with any documentation to disprove this statement.
We do charge for our services. $25.00 per hour travel time (each way).
$200.00 per hour search time. All travel expenses. Our services stand up
in all of the court systems as expert testimony.
Here is a list of some of the human and missing pet finds of Harry E.
Oakes Jr.
TRAINING.
1972-1974 Started in SAR (search and rescue) with Multnomah County
Sheriff’s Department Explorer Post#900 attached to #631 for SAR.
1974-1977. Search unit US Army Military Police. Helicopter Rescue
Support.
1979-1980 Morrow County Sheriff’s Dept. SAR Coordinator.
1984-1986 Mazama’s safety climbing instructor, crevasse rescue.
1986-1992 Portland Mountain Rescue. Team leader, co instructor.
1986-1988 Oregon DOGS. Dogs Organized for Ground Search and Rescue.
SAR Dog Handler.
1988-1997 Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs. Coordinator, dog handler,
instructor.
1997-Current International K-9 Search and Rescue Services. Coordinator,
dog handler, instructor and SAR Dog Findings.
05-16-0 86 86-001 Clack. Co. Mt. Hood Climbing Accident-OES school
incident. Team leader PMR-Team#23 Day#2 and T#2 Day #3. Assisted in
locating and recovering two dead adults, 7 dead children. Molly, Giles,
Karen and Leader Ralph Summers survived
08-07-87 87-001 Clack. Co. Evidence Search-Kidnap-Homicide. Lake Oswego
PD ref:
Homicide. SAR Dog Kodi-Dirt Burial-Located evidence for LOPD.
08-24-87 87-003 Skamania Co. Mt. St. Helens, Washington Lost
Climber.PMR/ MWSD-Team. Missing person Deahdore Baskar-SAR Kodi located
him weak but OK on Monitor Ridge coming down. Lightly
dressed.Windbreaker and light clothing.
08-24-88 87-004 Wheeler Co.Fossil Ore. Escapee from Court House.
"Anderson". Team:H.Oakes SAR Kodi.Results:Tracked all night long to
where deputies and OSP located suspect in a camp ground where we
tracked. GOOD JOB -KODI.
09-25-87 87-005 Skamania Co. Mt. St. Helens,Washington 3 missing
climbers. two adult male one juvenile female. Bad weather.Monitor ridge.
Kodi and I located them alive and cold one thousand feet up the trail
from base camp.
03-30-88 88-008 Mult.Co. Research Oxbow Park for Fred Trinkle's remains
Team: H.Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Results: Ranger Keeps alerting in river
downstream 100yrds from pls. Requested dive team to come recover victim.
06-01-88 8-010 Mult.Co. Oxbow Park Drowning-Thong Diah-Team:H.Oakes SAR
Dog Ranger. Results: Located victim in water. Downstream 40 yrds.
06-21-88 88-011 Kidnap Homicide-Doreen Ratterman-Delrey Beach,Oregon.
Team:H.Oakes SAR Dog Ranger.Results: Located evidence-Bag of sperm/urine
from suspect.
06-01-89 88-015 Clack.Co. Lake Oswego Golf Course. Altz. Pt. missing in
hot weather x 5 days.William Griffee. Team:H.Oakes SAR Dog Ranger.
Ranger tracked victim to where he was located in a briar patch DOA from
heart attack.
09-22-88 88-016 Skamania County.Stevenson,Washington Drowning.Victim
"J.Weeks" Team:H.Oakes SAR Dog "Ranger" and SAR Dog Rommel. SR#14 MP55.
Located victim in 94Feet deep water in Columbia River.
10-17-88 88-018 Clackamas County, Ripplebrook Ranger District. Lost Deer
Hunter C.Walker. Teams:H.Oakes SAR Dog Ranger and Judy with SAR Dog
Rommell. Results: Victim left business cards that ID him and what path
he was taking. Both Ranger and Rommell ID path and led to his being
found.
11-06-88 88-023 Skamania Co. Sioxon Creek Mitchel Peak, Washington.
Mitchel Sowa Search. Lost Elk Hunter. Team: H.Oakes SAR Dog Ranger.
Results: Ranger tracked and airscented into area where we put hasty team
in and located victim with fx leg. Hypothermic. GOOD JOB Ranger. The SAR
deputy stated, "We would not have searched this area if it wasn't for
Rangers alerting into it. It was to far out of the search area.
12-07-88 88-025 Armenia Earthquake USSR. Four of MWSD teams geared up
and placed on S/B. We were able to coordinate the sending of two SAR
teams from another agency. We also sent $3,000 dollars worth of medical
gear we gathered through donations in with NW Medical teams. I
coordinated the K-9 mission.
01-28-89 89-003 Clack.Co. Mount Hood White River Canyon. During Training
Excersise. We (PMR) located an injured boy in White River Canyon. Fx-C
Spine.Took 3 raising systems to bring him out.
04-06-89 89-005 Polk Co. "Jay Burroughs"-Homicide-Pee Dee, Ore. Victim
missing 45 days. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Deb Yates SAR dog Buddy,
Bill Gawloski SAR Dog Lady. Results: MWSD teams located victim’s buried
in dirt and debris pile. Also located vital evidence in crime scene to
show where victim was killed (SHOT) how he was transported to burial
site, where evidence was in an abandoned house to show who shot victim
and when and where.
06-18-89 89-007 Columbia Co. Drowning-Sauvies Island. Victim "Weslie
Desell' R/C from Lt. C.Co.SO. req. teams. Upon responding-all teams
canceled as "Sheriff didn't want MWSD teams there." Family called us in
privately. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. We responded and within 15
minutes located victim 20 yrds out 40 feet deep in the water. I called
the sheriff to come get the victim and he refused. Oregon State Police
notified and did recovery. Sheriff mad because his dive team didn’t find
the victim and we did. Victim’s father present when the body was
recovered on the beach the next day and when we made the find.
06-20-89 89-008 Clack. Co. Salmon River Canyon area. Welches, Ore.
Missing hiker Glen Crum" missing x 4 days. Team:H.Oakes SAR Dog Ranger.
Craig Odegaard SAR Dog Smokey. We hiked to assigned area to clear. While
enroute to area. Ranger and Smokey alerted over cliff. 304th AFRS was
flying overhead at the time and we asked them to inspect the area. They
located the victim DOA from fall and hypothermia. Same area where dogs
alerted over cliff. Good job Ranger and Smokey.
07-07-89 89-010 Clack.Co. Squaw Mtn. Joey Lefler lost 3 year old with 3
dogs. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Sheriff was going to call of
search due to lack of clues. On Sat. Ranger and I and ST located boys
footprints put our own containment team in the area and located the boy
alive the next day.
08-12-89 89-014 Clack. Co. Mt. Hood S. Side Missing Climber. Team: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Results: 304th Located victim in white river
canyon during search.
09-04-89 89-016 Clark Co. Vanc. Wash. David Douglas Park Missing 2 boys.
William and Cole Neer. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. MWSD and SSSAR.
Teams found the two boys dead. Murdered and molested & Stabbed to death.
Ranger tracked suspect from victim’s body, one mile into Vancouver to
Andresen St. Vanc. PD with us on track. (Suspect) parked his car here
and then left the scene after the crime. (Suspect later id as Westly
Allen Dodd).
10-19-89 89-023 Skamania Co. Dog Creek, Carson, Washington High Angle
Rope Rescue. Hiker and baby stranded on cliff. Team: H. Oakes, MWSD
teams, and SSSAR teams. RESULTS. I climbed up to victim and we rappelled
off cliff together. Rick Blevins belayed and did a GREAT JOB. Together,
we saved her and her unborn child.
10-23-89 89-024 Polk Co. Fall City, Ore. Lost Searcher (Volunteer
Fireman). Team: MWSD-H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. ST Ben Lill. Results:
Ranger picked up victim’s trail and located direction of travel. I put
Searcher Ben Lill up ahead as a containment and we located the victim
the next morning alive. Hypothermic. Good Job Ranger and everyone.
10-26-89 89-025 Washington Co. Missing 17y/o boy. Washington Co. SO
searched area with police and detectives and ESAR. Nothing Found. Family
called us in. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. During interview of father,
he was very nervous and giving me alibis when (It wasn't needed during
the interview). Cleared assigned search area 95%. Victim found in our
search area in Creek in 3" deep of water, three weeks later. Same area
that Wash. Co. SO and MWSD teams searched. Victim was not there in the
creek during our search. Victim’s body was placed in the creek after the
search. Detectives referred to this case.
11-01-89 89-027 Vanc. Lake-Clark Co. Vanc. Wash. Lee Isle's body found
by pheasant hunter dead and molested. Same as in Cole Neer and William
Neers case. Evidence Search. Ranger located physical evidence. (Victim
of Westly Allen Dodd). Later executed for the 3 murders.
11-05-89 89-028 Clark Co. Yacolt, Washington Missing Deer Hunter. Tim
Bunner-Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger and MWSD Teams. Results: Ranger
tracked victim into canyon (after bloodhound team couldn't locate
victim). Ranger located victim alive and very wet and cold next to
creek.
89-031 Wahkiakum Co. Wash. Missing Bow hunter Butch Huston. Team: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Ranger ,Scott Rich SAR Dog Otis. Ben Lill. Results: We
located victim DOA Frozen against a log. Died from Hypothermia. He had
all the survival gear but didn't use it in time. Ranger alerted over
ridge third day of search. Gave 12-49 alert. I informed Scott to go down
there with Otis and locate victim as we were too exhausted and needed
some rest. Scott with SAR Otis, found victim right over ridge where
Ranger alerted.
06-16-90 90-007 Ohio, Shadeyville floods. H. Oakes coordinated with Fire
Dept. on who to bring in and how to use them effectively for locating
bodies. I coordinated some of the search dog teams.
07-07-90 90-012 Chemult, Ore. Private Search for missing 9 year old
Nathen Madsen, on a pony lost Oct. of 89. Sheriff of Klamath Co. REFUSED
9 offers from MWSD teams during initial major search. MWSD Teams went in
and within 48 Hours we were able to pinpoint the air scent alerts where
MWSD teams located remains in coyote feces and Bill G. and SAR Dog Lady
assisted in bringing in more teams who located saddle and more remains.
All teams given credit for finding Nathan Madsen. The family refused to
give us credit even though Oregon State Police documented our teams
findings. SAD Ending to an innocent child because a sheriff in Klamath
Co. had his head up his ass. The sheriff’s office searched for 9 months
and couldn’t find anything. We searched for 16 hours and One of our
search dog handlers Bill Gawloski with search dog Lady found the victim
in the original search area. I coordinated private k-9 sar ops.
07-18-90 90-013 Philippine Earthquake Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. We
flew as part of the Seattle King Co. Disaster team. We located 25 sites
where 59 dead victims were recovered. Per Lt. From SOG Special Forces
Task Force. Also assisted in grief therapy and first aid of injured. I
coordinated Sar ops. and worked the disaster with SAR Dog Ranger.
09-09-90 90-015 Polk Co. Missing 11 year old child with a gun. Nathan
Montez Search. Suicide. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger and Bill G.SAR Dog
Lady. Results: We located victim DOA self inflicted gun shot wound to
head. I coordinated SAR ops. and assisted in crime scene investigation
and grief therapy for family. SAD ending.
09-28-90 90-019 Mt Adams Surprise Lake Sk. Co. So. missing mushroom
picker George Takahasi. Team: H.Oakes SAR Dog Ranger K-9-1. Tracked from
PLS 5 miles NE across lava field. Set up road containment and they
located him with us right on his trail. Sheriff Dept Coordinator stated
that it was “Ranger’s track that directed containment teams to locate
this missing person”.
10-17-89 90-023 Sk. Co. Homicide case "Green River Case"Rd#10. Team:
H.Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Results: located victims clothing and cosmetics.
Evidence find.
10-29-90 90-025 Polk Co. Injured / lost mushroom picker. Sue Smith.
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Results: Victim located upon our arrival
down 1500Foot canyon. She suffered a fall over a 40 foot cliff into a
creek. Fx Leg. Hypothermic. It took us 9 raising systems to bring her
out.
11-10-90 90-033 Lost Inj. Hunter. Polk Co. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger
Results: Tracked to where we found hunter tired but ok. Drunk.
11-14-90 90-35 Lincoln Co. Missing Mushroom Picker Jody Cox. Team: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Results: We tracked victim to where we located his
bucket of mushrooms and his rain jacket. On Road where all scent and
sign indicates he was picked up by a car. Sub. investigation showed that
two subjects involved with DOPE with this person took him out of the
search area and killed him. His body was found three years later out of
the search area.
11-17-90 90-036 Sk. Co. Luin Biddix Missing teenager hunter. Team: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Craig Odegaard and SAR Dog Smokey. Results: Subj.
Located alive by other MWSD Sar team. I coordinated K-9 teams. We found
him alive.
03-19-91 91-008 Mult. Co. Missing hikers (Mazamas) Pat Lidrich and Kathy
Spencer. Mult. Co. Refused our services and canceled their own efforts
after two days of searching. We responded privately and picked up
victims trail. 304th located victims 5 days into their search in snow
alive and hypothermic 9 miles away. Mult. Co. was very embarrassed on
this one as they should have been. Very poor management of their SAR
Effort. Good job “Ranger” and 304th.
05-22-91 91-015 Douglas Co. SO. Missing child Tommy Gibson.
Kidnap/Homicide. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Results: Douglas Co.
Deputy claims his son was kidnapped in the country down a private rd
where two big dogs were sitting in front of with a marked police car
parked in front of house and four people home sitting in front of
picture window.
Oregon State Police served search warrant on Larry’s house. Larry
suspected of killing Tommy and fabricating story. Everything I found
showed me that Larry did kill Tommy in the kitchen while Tommy was
eating, Larry then laid Tommy’s remains. Larry then put Tommy in the
back of his patrol car and left the scene. Tommy’s remains have never
been found yet. Larry later convicted of Tommy’s homicide. Ranger
located Tommy's shirt where Larry buried it outside house under
corrugated tin roofing.
05-29-91 91-016 Sitka, Ak. Coordinated missing coastguardsman
-Coordinated SAR efforts. Subject located at girlfriends AWOL.
09-04-90 91-027 Mult. Co. Private Call Missing 13y.o male Peter Rudge.
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Results: Located evidence that showed
Diane Waldon was kidnap suspect and investigated matter. Diane arrested
back east at hotel. Portland Police very upset that their detectives
missed what we found.
11-26-91 91-150-045 Clark. Co. Missing 9 yo child Hannah Narvel. Team:
H.Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Girl missing x 4 hours. rural area near
Battleground, Wash. Ranger tracked from PLS to laundry room where she
was sleeping under numerous amounts of clothes inside a sleeping bag
curled up.
12-01-91 91-151-046 Sitka,Ak. S/B to fly teams up for missing hunter.
Coord. search by Fax and telephone. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger.
Victim located DOA from fall over cliff. Teams canceled.
12-02-91 91-152-047 Hood River Co. Missing Hunter Corey Faye Teams: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Ranger and MWSD teams. Results: We were called in
privately after SO refused to use all available resources. During the
search-our teams located death site and a suspect. This after local
search teams from the sheriff’s dept failed to find any clues. Suspect
failed 5 polygraphs regarding Corey’s death. Remains later located out
of the search area by persons who knew main suspect in this case.
12-21-91 91-157-052. Mt. Hood White River Canyon. Inj. Skier. On scene
found inj. xc skier and rescued him. Ranger found him alive and injured
in canyon.
01-04-92 92-159-001 Mult. Co. PPB Evidence search ref: Homicide. Rocky
Butte. Portland, Ore. Found evidence for PPB. Team; H. Oakes SAR Dog
Ranger.
04-23-92 92-168-010 Mult. Co. Rock Rescue- Team: H. Oakes . While up
training in rock climbing/ rock rescue, I heard a cry for help. I
responded to a drunk person in cowboy boots 30 feet up on the cliff
face. I then set up a lowering system and performed a single person
rescue. Victim lowered to the ground and given a stern lecture.
06-12-92 92-174-016 Vanc. BC Canada Call. Missing 16y/o suicide Michael
Hammond. Missing x 6 months. Team: H. Oakes, B. Oakes Ranger and Jim
Burgett with SAR Dog Brandy. Results: We tracked Hammond’s scent trail
to where he died in the ocean. Tswwassen. BC.
07-27-92 92-182-024 Polk Co. Jason Miller -Suicide. Team: H. Oakes
Ranger. Results: Ranger located subject’s pack and area which led
searchers to the victim. Ranger stung by 7 bees from hornets nest. Also
located two marijuana Grow operations. Polk Co. SO removed same.
10-29-92 92-193-035 Sk. Co. Byron Shurleff -Missing Mushroom picker. Mt.
Adams. Team: H. Oakes/Ranger. Results: Ranger tracked victim to where we
located him alive.
10-29-92 92-194-036 Missing child in Brush Prarie area. Clark Co.
Anthony Cochran I got search organized using ICS System. Very
unorganized at first. Large effort. Subj. located the next day by 304th.
Ranger led the 304th to this area.
11-15-92 92-200-042 Polk CO. Missing Deer Hunter Lukiamoot Area. Team:
H. Oakes Ranger Results: We found him alive and cold.
11-16-92 92-201-043 Polk Co. RD#18. Buckman Howard-Missing Deer hunter.
Team H. Oakes Ranger. Results: MWSD located this victim cold and wet.
1-29-92 92-206-048 Clack. Co. Mt. Hood, Ore. Ski Accident Mike Lilly
White River Canyon Rescue. We were training working avalanche patrol
that day, when Ranger located the injured skier laying in the snow weak
from Hypothermia. Ranger layed next to the victim to assist in
rewarming. Pt had a dislocated patella. BUCK RAT assisted MWSD in
extrication. Good Job Ranger.
12-09-92 92-186-028(E). Clark Co. Body Recovery-Columbia Tie Rd. Amboy,
Wash. Homicide. Shot in head and buried. Team: MWSD H. Oakes SAR Dog
Ranger and Ken Bowlsby with SAR Dog Bear recovered victims remains with
Clark Co. Detectives.
12-16-92 92-205-047(C). Coleman Search Lost Hunter Team: H. Oakes
Ranger. Jim Burgett with SAR dog Brandy. Results: Victim located in
water where Ranger and Brandy andother SAR Dogs alerted.
01-09-93 93-209-001 Clack. Co. Mt. Hood Ore. White River Canyon Inj. X-C
skier Mike Levine Team MWSD. Rescue inj skier.
03-07-93 93-211-003 Clatsop Co. Water Rescue Seaside, Ore. South Shore
beach. (On Scene) Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Ranger and Brandon Oakes.
Results: While walking on the beach we witnessed 5 children get pulled
out to sea by a sneaker wave tide undertow. One girl made it out on her
own. Two parents jumped in and saved their children and that left two
children still heading out to sea, drowning. Brandon acted as a spotter
while Ranger and I went to help. I swam out to the boy and pulled him
out of the water and Ranger swam 30 yards out to the little girl and she
hung on to his tail while he pulled her in. Fire Dept. and Police
notified of incident by family. Great Save Ranger. Brandon acted as
spotter. Did great job. We later won the NASAR’s Higgen’s and Langley
Swift Water award for our rescue efforts.
04-18-93 93-218-010 Clark Co. Washugal, Wash. Columbia River. " Mark R.
Smith" Bad weather Team: H. Oakes Ranger and MWSD teams located victim
in water. Recovered
06-22-93 93-226-018 Missing Hiker-Hoskins-West Side of Mt. Angelas.
Olympic National Forest. Missing x 13 days. Ranger & I flew into sight
by helo. We found him in less then 20 minutes on scene. West Side. He
had fallen 350' over a cliff to his death. We assisted in the body
recovery with park rangers and MT. Rescue. We found his remains after
local search dog teams and Mtn. rescue teams searched the same area for
14 days.
07-29-93 93-228-020 Clark. Co. Suicide. Columbia River. Team: H. Oakes
Ranger Located victim dead in water. Souri Yavang.
11-22-93 93-252-044 Body Recovery SAR DOG Joshua Parks.K-9-3. Joshua was
murdered today by a Hit and Run driver. Grief Therapy. Transported
remains to Ore. Humane Society.
12-17-93 93-258-050 Polk Co. Angela Bush, Missing 17y/o girl with 7 year
old mentality. We were told this would be a cadaver search. Missing X(3)
days in very cold weather. Girl with her cocker spaniel. Dallas, Ore.
Our teams FOUND HER AND HER DOG BARELY alive.:} Body core temp 92 and
heading down. Girl unconscious. Dog cuddled inside her jacket saved her
life. MERRY CHRISTMAS. This after search teams and police searched for
her for 3 days and nights and found nothing. We found her alive in 30
minutes.
01-03-94 94-263-001 Mult. Co. Missing female runaway. Kristen Stearns.
Team: H. Oakes / Ranger. We tracked her down alive.
01-17-94 94-267-005(A). Mutual Aid Cleared assigned areas by Orange Co.
SAR. Found pets dead in Apts that were burned out. Also assisted in
Grief therapy. Team: H .Oakes/Ranger J.Burgett/ Brandy.
01-28-94 94-269-009 Clatsop Co. Private Missing person search Dela
Carlson 77y/o altz pt. Phase#(1). Cleared area of highest POA. Picked up
her track found her footprints and toilet paper every time she changed
to another road. We located all this evidence and her remains after
Clatsop Co. and Search one K-9 detection searched entire area for three
days and told family she wasn't out there. We just made fools out of
them again.
03-13-94 94-282-020 Mult. Co. lost dog. Private pet search. "Keech" Lost
dog in 95 degree heat for 5 days. R.P. Mult. Co. E. Wilson 4537 SE Knapp
Rd Portland, Ore. Ranger, Brandon and I with the family of Keech,
tracked him 5 miles through the city streets right up to the door of the
house where we located him alive. Team: H. Oakes/Ranger-Brandon-Allison.
Keech had been taken from the PLS to the site where we located him by
CAR. Ranger did a veh. track.
04-24-94 94-269-009 "G" Private Dela Carlson Search. While inspecting
the death scene. Ranger located Dela's Jaw bone and teeth under a tree.
This is after Clatsop Co. SO stated to Janice, Leroy and Oscar that, "We
recovered everything after an extensive search of the scene.". Witnesses
to the remainder of the body part recovery was Janice, Leroy and Kris
Desylvia.
05-27-94 94-315-53(A-B-C) Private Missing Person Bryan Meier Age 23
found DOA in Willamette River.
07-26-94 94-338-075 Missing Person "Dan-O-Johnson Pack 657 BSA Camp
Discovery Missing Child. Ranger tracked him to canyon creek where he was
hiding.
08-03-94 94-341-078 D. Pat Reudinick Columbia River drowning. WPD. We
located his remains in the water with the search dogs.
08-17-94 94-335-027 (D-O). C. Hall Pine Bluff, Arkansas Homicide. Flew
and worked homicide located suspect and ID same through scent evidence
on his boots and his vehicle. Good job Ranger. (Got a search warrant
based on Ranger’s and my credibility).
09-27-28-94 94-359-096 Homicide x 2 . Carlson case Clark Co. Battle
Ground Wash. Ranger and Shadow located where victims were killed and id
suspect and how he transported victims out of the area. This after
detectives went through home and didn’t find anything. Good Job Ranger
and Shadow. (Got a search warrant based on Ranger’s and my credibility).
10-26-94 94-371-108 Mtn Rescue (2) Searchers Mt St Helens, Wash. Call
came in for help from SSSAR. Responded and assisted in rewarming
victims. Medical response.
11-03/04-94 94-378-115 Lost Mushroom picker Bun My Loeng Sk. Co. request
for assist. Canceled upon arrival due to weather. Skamania Co. Director
of EMS screwed this one up really bad. His ignorance along with the
victims cost the victim his life. I wrote a letter to Gov. Locke. He
didn’t do anything about it. I lost my ability to respond to SAR in Sk.
Co. Washington because I came forward and reported the incident.
12-02-94 94-391-128 Body Recovery Class 5 water Wind River Sk. Co. asked
to be there to supervise recovery with SSSAR. Drowning. Kayaker caught
in a strainer of logs. Victim died from Hypothermia. "Dave" victim. Sk.
Co. S.O. on scene and refused to allow local assistance to rescue the
victim while he was struggling to stay alive. It’s their fault he died.
12-11-94 94-385-122(C) Clark Co. Brian Harris. MWSD teams located victim
in search area after Search one K-9 Detection, Clark Co. SO, and SAR,
SSSAR, NCEMS, and bloodhound teams failed to locate victim. We found him
DOA in search area in less then 15 minutes. Supervised body recovery. We
found searchers flagging ribbon 10 feet from victim’s head.
03-16-95 95-439-035 Clark Co. Missing Person "Linda Obrien NE 57th Vanc.
Wash. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Tracked from house to bus
stop where tracked stopped behind Vanc. mall. Blood hound confirmed
Val's track. Subject later (4) days, called family from Colorado stating
she was ok and confirmed that was the route she took. Good job Valorie.
95-458-054 Oklahoma City Bombing-Disaster Response Federal Building
Bombing Murrah Bldg Bombing. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Valorie alerted on four areas. Fire dept told me later they found 4 dead
kids & 6 adult body parts. The book Valorie’s Valor came out of this
tragedy.
*04-23-95 95-467-063 Drowning Sitka, Ak. Assist in coordinating find and
recovery Lisianskie Peninsulla, Sitka, Ak coord. Drowning of Randy
Helem. After dogs and my map assit, they found subject in 220 feet ocean
deep water.
05-20-95 95-426-022 Polk Co. Water Search Independance, Ore." John Pope"
Search (F) With K-9-20 assist. Loc. Sub. in 29 feet water down stream
from first searches and out 20 feet from other side East side of
embankment.
95-501-97 07-15-95 Clackamas Co. Wilsonville, Oregon-Private Search-Lost
Dog. "Shadow" 4 year old sheltie neut. male. R.P. Robert and Sandra
Steigleder, Wilson St. Wilsonville,Ore. Missing from home since
07-14-95. Results: SAR Dog "Valorie" and I met with the family at Les
Schwabb Tires store in Wilsonville, Ore. PLS. Witnessed who worked there
reported seeing the dog running in the area on 07-14-95. I introduced
"Valorie" to the missing dogs collar and valorie then tracked north. We
went around the west side of Les Schwab Tire store then across a field
and a fence onto the freeway.I-5.We then tracked along the freeway
Northbound approx.1/4 mile then Valorie tracked east into some heavy
brush along a fence line. SAR Dog Valorie alerted very hard and when I
looked into the brush I saw the missing dog alive but very very scared.
It took the young man from the family who followed along with me almost
three minutes to approach the scared dog and get a hold of it. We then
returned to the parking lot of Les Schwab Tires met with the remaining
portion of the family and I then inspected the dog. It appeared
dehydrated and scared but OK. I then suggested to the family that they
have the dog inspected by a vet. Clinic
95-513-109 07-31-95 Polk Co. S O, Falls City, Ore. Kidnap (1) Sexual
Abuse(1) case Camp Killowan Lower Greenwood Cabin. Victim: Stephanie M.
Pileggi E. Santiam St. Stayton, Ore. age: 10. 07-21-95 between 0430Hrs.
and 0500Hrs. suspect entered victims cabin through front door of cabin
while she was asleep and kidnapped her at knife point. He then took her
down the trail and molested her. She reported the actions to Polk Co.
SO. They did their investigation and grid searched the area for
evidence. We were then called in on 07-31-95 and searched the area. See
report for findings.
95-541-137 09-02-95 Clark Co. Washington. Clark Co. Sheriffs Dept.
Request Possible Kidnap homicide case. DEM#95-1217 Martha, Michael and
Crystal Beeson missing from 22303 NE 72 Ave. Vanc. Wash. R.P. Sgt.
Warren (360) 253-2047. Teams: See unit list.
Coordinator for MWSD H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie. Results: Searched Victims
house. Door broken in from front door. Blood found small amounts
throughout the house. Valorie and Tracker gave strong STRESS alerts
inside living room and bathroom. MWSD did area search of property and
found no bodies. (NOTE). DA’s office established my expertise on scent,
scent evidence, training SAR Dogs, made me an expert witness. As soon as
I completed my testimony in the courtroom, the suspect stood up. Stopped
the trial, and plead guilty stating our search dogs were 100% accurate
in their track of the victim(s) and suspect.
95-558-153 10-06/07-95 Clack. Co. Private search for missing Mt. Climber
on Mt. Hood. Ken Budlong. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Results. Rode chair lifts to top of palmer and then climbed to NW ridge
of Illumination rock. Picked up death alerts at base of Ill. rock and
minor alerts at saddle top. Winds from west at 35 gusting. ICY. Wrote
report and faxed to Hood River Co. S O. Alerts coming from Reid Glacier
and Yocum Ridge area. 7800 to 8200 foot levels. Body is in crevasse on
Reid Glacier. Observed fall line, slide. We filed a report and nothing
was ever done about it. Body still there.
10-14-95 95-569-164 Drowning Clark Co. Camas Washington. 14year old,
(Billie Talent) drowned 10-13-95 while fishing with a friend. Responded
teams. H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1 located victim along with other
SAR Dog teams down stream from PLS in Class 3 water. This verified by
Clark Co. Dive Teams.
10-16-95 95-569-164(C). Grief Therapy Camas Middle School. Ref: Billy
Talent body recovery.
96-668-024(C) 01-25-96 Cowlitz Co. Drowning X (2). Dennis Svoboda and
Larry Mansur. Two missing fisherman. Missing X 4 days. Searched their
favorite fishing holes. Very cold outside. Snowing in hills. Winds from
West 0-5 MPH. Air temp..35f. Water 42F. One found by Valorie in 40 feet
of water and one found in 60 feet of water. Grief therapy 1 hour with
family after debriefing. We located victims whereabouts after sheriff’s
dept and dive team failed to. Dive team later verified they found the
boat where our dogs alerted. Bodies later recovered. One upstream and
one downstream. Bodies were moved by boat traffic and currents. (Tidal
).
96-676-032(A). 02-11-96 Marion Co. Hwy 99E Drowning X(3) OSP request.
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie and SSSAR(x)2. Victims. Gonon, Satey and
Santiago Alblino HMA's. Drowned when their vehicle went off road into
flooded onion field. Made 12 passes. Valorie located both on second
pass. 100 feet down stream from PLS. OSP Advised. All 3 bodies
recovered.
05-05-96 96-727-083(B). Marion Co. Searched Willamette River near
Mission St. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Found human
in water DOA. Police advised.
05-12-96 96-730-086(D). Clatsop Co. Searched for David Wahl at alleged
last pls. Teams: Harry Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: See report
and diagrams. Numerous death alerts. We made phone call and found body.
It had washed up in Gray’s Harbor, Wa. They sent notice to Clatsop Co.
Clatsop Co. didn’t do anything. Med. Exam. Buried body as a john doe. We
had David’s remains exhumed and reautopsied. Proved it was murder,
turned case over to OSP who obtained conviction of David’s girlfriend.
This after police and Search One k-9 detection failed to find anything.
The victim’s family took all the credit for our work.
05-30-96 96-730-087(I). David Wahl Mission. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1. RESULTS: David was found two weeks after he disappeared
by Aberdeen, Wash. PD. Naked and Headless. ID through Fingerprinted.
Listed as John Doe until yesterday when Positive ID was made through
prints. Already buried
05-28-96 96-750-106(A). Clack. Co. Drowning Clackamas River High Rocks
Area Gladstone, Ore. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results:
Initial Interview and grief therapy started.
05-29-96 96-750-106(B). Clack. Co. Drowning search. Team: H. Oakes SAR
dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Located body in 20 feet of water moving at
surface at 4 feet per second.
08-07-96 96-805-161(A).Clarksville City PD Nix, Diana Homicide Evidence
Search-Searched victims vehicle and located death alert at drivers seat
foot pedals and carpet areas.
08-08-96 96-788-144(F) worked Beard Case. Found death and stress alerts
in suspect vehicles at crime lab.
08-08-96 96-805-160(B). Diana Nix Homicide. Searched house with
detectives from Clarksville City PD. Search Warrant for shoes.
08-09-96 96-799-155(B). Viola Morgan Warren Co. Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Kidnapped case from Apt. Tracked with Kentucky State Patrol and worked
with FBI on this case. Successful track to where vehicle parked and
switched victim to another vehicle.
08-10-96 96-788-144(H). Worked Beard Case Found evidence. Tracked
suspect to same location where we tracked Jackie. Death alert in
suspects house and found shove with dirt and hair on it in suspects
closet.
09-11-96 Retested FEMA URSAR Standards. Valorie located one DOA Three
alive in 5 minutes at NMCLC. Susan Livingston Tester.
09-28-96 96-858-214 Performed BLS Aid on Heart attack patient in flight.
Patient: Sheila A. Felts Age#36. Welchwood Dr. Clarksville, Tenn. Dr.
Ely St. B's clinic. Admin. 2lpm O2 Rebreather. Monitored vitals and Dr.
Admin. 2 nitro. ALS team met us at the airport. Flight#1575 Nashville to
Dallas.
10-09-96 96-839-196(K). Marion Co. Grief Therapy at sight where Mariah's
body was found. With Ellen Pelker. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Krista also present. MWSD teams able to prove Mariah was murdered and
who the suspects were. Police took suspects into custody.
12-10-96 96-910-266 (C). Wash. Co. Missing Person: Cynthia Grotjohn:
Team: Harry E. Oakes Jr. (SAR Dog Coordinator) MWSD. K-9-1 SAR Dog
Valorie. Responding K-9 Team from MWSD. Heather Frazer (ST). Results:
Cleared Ravine West of Nudist Camp. Got strong death alert in Dairy
Creek 4/10th of a mile west from Dairy Rd. off of Fern Ridge Rd. Area
Flagged. Family notifed. Found coyote poop with human hair remains.
Faxed report to WCSO. Flagged area.
12-19-96 96-905-261(B). Mult. Co. Grief Therapy for Hessel family J
Brown SE Olvera St. Gresham, Ore. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Results: Worked with the mother and her three kids ref: Their fathers
(ART's) death in the Hessell plane crash last year at this time.
01-02-97 97-926-001(B). Cowlitz Co. Phylis Lewellen SARM. Teams: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Michelle Keating SAR Dog in training
"Rusty" K-9-16. Results: Signed contract, setup overhead management SAR
ops. and searched immediate area. Also performed Grief Therapy for
children. Gave them both GT Bears. Cowlitz Co. refused to dig up body
where our dogs alerted to. We also located blood on a wheel barrow in
the garage.
01-08-97 97-928-003(A). Clark Co. Drowning. Ridgefield, Wa. Brian Raff.
Five foot of Mill House Boats SlipA-18. Teams. H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie
K-9-1. C. Martin SAR Dog Billie K-9-12. Results: Located victim in 5
minutes under dock.
01-25-97 97-938-013 Clack. Co. Mt. Hood White River Canyon Rescue.
Victim Dan McKinby Farmcrest Rd Hillsboro, Ore. Fx left radius / ulna
with BSA group. Approached our team and asked for help. We splinted fx
and put arm in shoulder sling. Vitals and BSA transported victim to Mt.
Hood ER. We advised family via telephone
01-25-97 97-939-014 Clack Co. Mt. Hood White River Canyon Rescue.
Victim: Elizabeth Berrest NE 8th st. Portland, Ore. Poss. strain
ligaments R ankle. splinted and applied ice. Transported to parking lot
by BSA Sled and transported to hospital by POV. T
02-08-97 97-949-024(B). Pierce Co. Drowning. Missing Person :Raymond
Leon Bickle. H. Oakes K-9-1. SAR Dog "Valorie". Results: Located victim
Puget Sound Stellicom Warf area 80 feet deep pacific ocean. Family and
S.O. advised. Victim never recovered by S.O.
03-08-97 97-963-039(B). Clack. Co. Mt. Hood, Ore. Private request to
assist by family. Missing snow boarder x 3 days. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1 and Garton with SAR Dog in training Dwezel, Michelle
Keating base. Results: All of our sar dog teams obtained alerts into
Sand Canyon. We advised a news helicopter to search ahead of us in a
specific area. They found him alive. CCSO SAR Teams pissed. This after
sheriff’s teams, mountain rescue and Search one k-9 detection couldn’t
find him.
03-15-97 97-965-042(D). Clack. Co. SARM Sandy, Zach search. Worked as
IC. 17 Hrs. Grief Therapy.
03-29-97 97-972-049(B). Island Co. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Results: Cleared assigned areas and put Valorie on a track. We tracked
from victims home to the City Beach area and then to the water. We also
found victims footprint in search area. Verified by FBI. Water search
revealed the victims location mid channel Oak Harbor. Three other SAR
Dogs from MWSD verified. Also cleared more areas and cleared suspect
vehicle. Her body washed up to shore the next day after a large storm.
We found the victim’s trail and footprints after local SAR dog teams
failed to with their 7 day search.
04-03-97 97-976-052(A). Mult. Co. Missing Person-Drowning-Accidental.
(Victim) We tracked this victim through downtown Portland, Ore. After he
had been missing a week. Abraham Steven Ellis: ABE, SE Ash St. Portland,
Oregon 97214. Roger Legg: (Biological Father). Wenda L. Ellis (Mother)
Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: K-9-1. Tracked victim
from PLS to Willamette River. K-9-15 verified. Family and Police and
NMCLC notified.
04-04-97 97-976-052(B). Mult. Co. Missing Person research area for
drowning victim. Team: H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. Results:
Reconfirmed location of body 300 feet off shore 100 feet from Burnside
Bridge. Police recovered his remains right where said he was.
04-09-97 97-979-056(A). L.A. Co. Missing Person: Actor Robert William
Axelrod WMA DLS 03-31-97. ETOH. Wallet located on Recita and Oxnard on
Sunday. Size 8 shoes. West Valley PD Det. Ryan & Hernandez Missing
persons detectives. LAPD has it in their possession. Angel Valentino
Laurel Canyon Blvd. N. Hollywood, Ca. Mother called me on 04-10-97 and
said she had found her son. Her son Robert was an outpatient at UCLA
Olive View Med. Center. I confirmed it with E.R.
05-24-97 97-1001-078 (C). Cowlitz Co. Drowning Private response. Victim:
Corinna Sofranko. Team: H. Oakes Overhead management. SAR Dog Valorie
K-9-1. ST Michelle Keating K-9-16. River lower 4 feet than when drowning
occurred. Results: Located victim at PLS. 12 feet of water. Water now
class 4.
06-14-97 97-1017-094 Mult. Co. Assisted in Water Rescue Boat Stranded.
Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Kris Desylvia ST2. RP: Relatives
of Kris Desylvia ST Member of MWSD. Lynn Kokos SE Ellis, Portland, Ore.
Boat stranded with two adults and three children on board. r/c from KD
Family member that her daughter was attempting to hike out for help. We
located one of the victims hypothermic and cut by brush 1 mile east of
Troutdale in swamp north of I-84. Night mission. Assisted by treating
for hypothermia, transporting victim to river patrol and rp did physical
retrieval of boat with remaining members of the party.
07-15-97 97-1040-117 Polk / Marion Co. Drowning. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1. Missing Person: Cody Morris. Drowned in Willamette River
Saturday 07-12-97. Results: SAR Dog Teams Located missing person in 5
minutes.
08-10-97 97-1056-133(A). Mult. Co. Lost Child. Jessica Nicole Clark,
(Victim). WFJ. age 4. Last seen wearing a yellow one piece bathing suit
with "tweety Bird" in front and "Sylvester the cat" in back. She has
dark blonde hair, blue eyes, 3 foot tall, 35 lbs. Missing from Sellwood
Riverfront Park on the beach by the dock since approx. 1400Hrs. on
08-10-97. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. O. Gomez SAR Dog Buddy
K-9-15. Angie Untiz ST#4. Results: Portland Police called us in. We
cleared areas. Both of our search dogs alerted in the water under the
dock. I informed PPB and PFB. Performed Grief Therapy for Mother. MCSO
being unprofessional as usual. Refused to allow all available resources
in immediately. Body floated up 3 days later right where our dogs
alerted. Boy was PFB and MCSO embarrassed. Search One K-9 Detection
Marty Neiman with his dog teams told the Co. no one was there. We told
the Co. and PPB the victim was under the dock. We were correct again.
11-06-97 97-1108-185(B). Linn Co. Missing Child. Elijah Kelt Age 4.
(Austistic). DLS: Monday. 0830Hrs. 11-03-97. Father Jerry Mother "Kathy"
. Lives at: 34632 Riverside Dr. SW Albany, Oregon 97321. 11-05-97 R/C
from Jerry. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog "Valorie" K-9-1. Results: Tracked
child to where "Valorie" K-9-1 and "Rusty" K-9-16 located victim doa
under log debri and 4 feet of water. Divers recovered body. Performed
Grief therapy for I.K.9.S.A.R.S. Team members, sar dogs and victim's
family. We found Eli after Linn Co. Sheriff refused our offers to
assist. Sheriff cost the tax payers over $125,000 in their four day
search efforts with bloodhounds, search dogs, helicopters, boats,
divers. They didn’t find a thing. We found Eli in 30 minutes.
11-25-97 97-1121-198 Mult. Co. Missing Child-Runaway. Angela Marie
Bohan. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog "Valorie" K-9-1 and Krista from the NMCLC.
Results: Tracked her down alive and fine.
11-25-97 97-1122-199 Mult. Co. Missing Child-Runaway. Desirae Epley
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog "Valorie" K-9-1 and Krista Widman from the NMCLC.
Results: Tracked her down alive and fine.
12-11-97 97-1127-204(C). Wash. Co. Missing Person. Saffa M. Nasir.
Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog "Valorie" K-9-1. Results: Meet with Private
Investigator for the Saffa case at their Tigard office. They had 6 blue
shop towels that Dennis used to clean up his van with. I put "Valorie"
on each towel for victim id. She alerted on 3 of them. The search was
video taped. We id the murder suspect through scent id. Police arrested
and convicted suspect. Body later recovered.
12-18-97 97-1133-210(B). Mult. Co. Missing Child. (Karenthian Korey
Buford) age 12. WFJ Runaway missing from NE Hacienda Ct. Gresham, Ore.
97030. Parents Joe & Linda Smith. SAR Dog Valorie tracked the runaway
and we recovered her alive off the streets.
12-22-97 97-1134-211(A). Clark. Co. Missing juvenile. Athalie Marie
Wiser,(Missing Person) NE 52nd. St. Vancouver, Washington. WFJ Home
schooled. Grade 9. *Date Last Seen 12-20-97 2230 Hrs. Darrel W. Wiser
(Father) Candie Wiser (Mother) Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Results: Did initial interview, report, investigation, house and
property search, and started track. SAR Dog Valorie located victim
alive.
98-1138-003(A). 01-07-98 1430-1930 Hrs. Clark. Co. Missing girl Amber
Hughes. Age 15. Team:H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. Tracked the girl to
an apt. and located where she had stayed on 01-01-98. Interviewed with
VPD a witness and faxed BG PD the information for follow up. We found
her alive.
02-06-98 98-1147-012(A). Tillamook Co. Missing Person. Karl Schomburg.
Teams:H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. Pinpointed an area of death alerts
along the steep rugged cliffs South of the PLS. Rappelled down cliff,
checked on areas of interests of the SAR Dogs from I.K.9.S.A.R.S. Thick
brush. Foot prints found. Dogs continued to give death alerts in this
area. Winds from the North North West. Friends of the victim advised.
02-25-98 98-1150-015 (C). Darke Co. Lynn Topp Missing Person. Lynn Topp.
SAR Dog Valorie and I went to Victim's families home. Joe Marylou Topp
Rossburg, Oh. Lynn's Parents. Obtained a scent article, Drove to nearby
city PD ref: a wma who claimed he had Lynn for a satanic ritual. Did
vehicle check for scent id on . No alerts. Went back to other areas of
interests and cleared more areas. Definite death alerts in one area
searched on a farm. Sheriff dug with a backhoe and recovered Linn’s
remains. Suspect had cut her face off, fingers off, poured gasoline on
her, wrapped her in plastic, buried her five feet deep, put 20 feet of
debris on top of the site and SAR Dog Valorie still found her remains.
Good job valorie. Val found this little girls remains after local k-9
SAR teams failed to find anything. (Sheriff obtained a search warrant
based on Val’s findings).
02-27-98 98- 1153-017 (A). Union City, Ohio, Missing Girl, Scent id.
Worked on another Homicide case and suspect id in Union City. Officer
Bruce A. Jamison West Water St. Piqua, Oh Ref: Shaylene M. Farrell Age
18 WFA DLS: 08-08-94. 135 Lbs. 5 foot. Hazel eyes. Mother Darlene
Farrell Piqua, Oh Met at 1715 Hrs. PU Scent article Prom dress in black
plastic garbage bag. Mother stated it hadn't been washed. Worked search
area. (See report). 3 areas of interests. Death alerts each area. Then
did boot / shoe suspect id off of victim's scent article. Valorie id one
pair of brown boots 3 times and one pair of black tennis shoes twice as
positive hits. Police advised. 1750 Hrs. Did newspaper and TV
interviews. Suspect later admitted to the murder.
03-06-98 98-1152-016(F). Milan, Tennessee, Missing persons case. Fd.
Researched and reconfirmed pond # 4. Middle Rd Pond. Death alerts. PD
Advised. Divers searched and see report for findings. We found a body
but not Casey's. Red Maroon Pants, White T Shirt, Five Cinder Blocks
with wire clothes line loop bindings still intact. Axe. Steel plates
with bindings also recovered. Skeleton remains believed to be human.
06-20-98 98-1209-073(A). Clark. Co. Missing Child. Kristy Duell, VPD
Case# S-98-10137 Age 16. Missing Child. RP: Marianna Kuhn NE 176th Ave.
Battleground, Wa. Missing Child: Marilee Snyder. VPD Case# S-98-10104
Age 16. Missing Child. RP: Carole Browning Loowit Loop, Vanc. Wa.
Missing Child: Tiffany Browning VPD Case# S-98-7419 Age 17. Mrs. Burnett
Vanc. Wa. Missing Child: Jessica Burnett VPD Case# S-98-10166 Age 15.
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Located suspect(s) who
had been drugged and raped these little girls, and then kidnapped them
to Mexico. We recovered all of the girls alive. Feds wouldn’t prosecute
the bad guys.
06-28-98 98-1217-081 Clatsop. Co. Drowning Pacific Ocean Cannon Beach
Haystack rock. Team: H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie, M. Keating SAR Dog
Rusty/Murphy. Results: All 3 dogs gave death alerts off Haystack rock.
CPD advised. 33 yo female missing from a suicide.
06-30-98 98-1220-084(A). Wash. Co. Nancy Hawkins private search for her
daughter who is missing. SARA Victoria Hawkins (Missing Child). Teams:
H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating SAR dog Rusty K-9-2. Results:
We located her daughter alive. She had been drugged and kidnapped by an
internet suspect. Wash. Co. S.O. Detective bad mouthed our efforts. Mrs.
Hawkins chewed him a new asshole. Stating, Harry was the only one she
gave full credit for finding her daughter alive and bringing her home
safe. The Det. Had no comment after that.”
07-07-98 98-1228-092(B). Clack. Co. RP: Myrtle Conlon Pleasant Ave.
Oregon City, Ore. Ref: Missing Child, Kayce Marie Scott-Conlon. Team: H.
Oakes. Results: SAR Dog Valorie located this girl in downtown Portland,
Ore. Kayce had cut and dyed her hair, clothing, changed her appearance.
But you can’t change your scent. Val got her back home alive.
07-17-98 98-1233-097 (A). Mult. Co. Missing Person. B. E. Oakes Kim
Holden SW. Mawr Crest Dr. Gresham, Or. Team: H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie
K-9-1. Results: See reports. I located him alive.
08-11-98 98-1251-115(A). Clack. Co. Katrina Marie Angus. Kidnapping.
Teams: H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Tracked Katrina and
established route traveled. Did initial interview with parents and
friends.
08-31-98 98-1261-125 Drove from Portland down to Eureka PD and did night
search for missing Karen Mitchel. She has been missing for 10 months.
Valorie did great track to where body was disposed of in the inlet
ocean. Police Officer with me during track.
09-20-98 98-1277-141 Skamania Co. Victim: Jackie Woldridge SE Woodward
St. Portland, Ore. Hamilton Mtn. Trail. First Aid Brown Recluse Spider
bite. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Pt LOC X 3. No <
with Resp. Pulse > 120. Pearls. Skin normal. Admin. Benadryl tab. Lid.
2% on bite site. Topical ointment.
10-19-98 98-1291-155 Clack. Co. Missing Person. Laura Lee Hoyt. Teams:
H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Results:
Minor alerts. Searched house and vehicles. We located her sleeping in a
hospital intensive care ward with a patient she didn’t even know.
11-09 through 19-08, Hurricane Mitch Honduras. 98-1301-165 Teams: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Tegusagalpa.
Fire Dept. Met with Riley Wooten 11-18-98 Wed We located 29 victims
dead. Buried in flood mudslides. Fire Dept. witnessed finds.
12-11-98 98-1318-182. Mult. Co. Missing person. Joshua Petefish. Missing
from: Anthony Adult Foster Care N. WIlbur St. Portland, Oregon. North
Greeley Ave and Killingsworth St. Joshua was last seen wearing a brown
checked quarter length coat with a fur lapel. a dark blue sweatshirt,
jeans and black Nike tennis shoes. 6-02" 210 Lbs. with black hair.
Anthony Adult Foster Care Center Mult. Co. Divi. of Devel. Dis. Team: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Tracked to 7-11- Store. Then to
bus stop in front of 7-1-1 store. RP's advised.
12-28-98 98-1314-178F Klamath Co. Missing child. Derrick Engebretson
Case. We offered services to sheriff’s Dept. They refused. Family called
us in privately after sheriff’s dept, K-9 SAR teams, blood hounds,
helicopters, failed to find anything. SAR Dog Valorie and I called in
privately from family. SAR Dog Valorie and I worked the search area with
the family present we found where Derricks tracks, where he slept under
a log, crossed roads twice and fell through the frozen ice on Klamath
lake. This after three different search dog teams, bloodhound teams,
tracking teams and ground teams failed to find anything. Our findings
documented and photographed and verified by family members.
01-11-99 99-1328-005 Linn Co. Drowning. Victim's name Ryan Lee Willam
Pitts age 13. Drowned Sat. 01-09-99. While duck hunting. boat tipped
over, No pfds worn.Water Very COLD and SWIFT.Ryan attended Lebonan
Middle School Did consult case.
01-11-99 99-1329-006 S.C. and Ohio. Missing person. Dennis Massie
Lockwood Blvd. Youngstown, Ohio Missing person: Todd James Massie NCIC#:
Out of Monroe Co. Bloomington Indiana. Consulting work
01-12-99 99-1328-005(B). Linn Co. Drowning. Ryan Lee Willam Pitts.
Teams:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1, M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2.
Results: Canceled upon arrival. Victim located by his father. Did CISD
on scene and at Ryan's school.
01-26-99 99-1336-013(B). Missing persons case, Ref: Chip McCain. Flew to
Minneapolis. Consulted on case and was able to determine what had
happened to chip.
02-20-99 99-1343-022(A). Jackson Co. Missing Person Victoria Kelly
Coleman Creek, Medford Son missing (Thomas Erin Devine Kelly) DLS:
01-26-99. PLS: Pioneer Rd. We flew down and determined he was dead.
03-06-99 99-1354-033(B). Clack. Co. Missing Person. David Francis
Aszman. Drove on 03-06-99 0730Hrs. to PLS Sandy River. near Dodge Park.
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2.
Worked both sides from PLS Both sar dogs alerted 100 yards downstream.
We then worked area search and found nothing. We then floated down to
Oxbow in large raft. Water COLD. Both dogs also alerted 1/2 mile down
stream in a deep section. Near where his kayak was recovered.
04-06-99 99-1367-046 Mult. Co. Missing Person Runaway: RP: William C.
Jager SE Lincoln St. Portland, Ore. Jennifer Ann Jager. NMCLC case.
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Tracked Jennifer to where
she was staying.
04-13-99 99-1371-050 Mult. Co. Found runaway Jennifer Lynn Rochell
Mother Loretta Toth Team: H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Girl
recovered alive sleeping in neighbors tree house. Mother notified.
05-17-99 99-1389-068A. Clack. Co. Missing Person: Christine Marie Prothe
Ogden St. Portland, Oregon Mark Conn DLS: Sat. 1000Hrs. Team: H. Oakes
SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Results: Tracked
Christine to where she got on a bus. Family advised.
05-18-99 99-1389-068B. Clack. Co. Missing Person: Christine Marie Prothe
SE Ogden St. Portland, Oregon Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Results: Located Christine in Seaside, Ore. with old boyfriend. Family
and police advised.
06-11-99 99-1408-087 Mult. Co. First Aid Call. 9 yo boy fell off bike at
Gresham City Park. Injury large hematoma left skull above left ear.
Edema, PEARLS, Normal pulse, resp. No jaw fx. No apparent c spine inj.
Found parents. applied ice, and direct pressure to inj. sight to control
bleeding. Parents advised to transport child to hospital immediately.:
06-24-99 99-1417-096A Mult. Co. Missing Person. Amy Bowerman Age 15 Lou
& Darlene Bowerman Team:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1 located Amy to where we found her alive.
07-13-99 99-1421-100A. Mult. Co. Missing Person, Amatha Saenz. Team: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Searched the apt that Susan and
Amatha shared. See report for findings. We found that she had been
killed.
07-24-99 99-1421-100H Wash. Co. Missing Person Amatha Saenz. Teams: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1, M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Results:
Searched more areas of Forest Park. (Hoyt Arb). Found woman's belt. Both
dogs getting death alerts.
08-19-99 99-1448-127(B). Turkey Earthquake. Offered services. Team: H.
Oakes SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. Flew to Turkey, worked assigned areas.
Located 4 live 41 dead. 100% humidty 100Degree heat. Lots of dead.
Saturday. 1122Hrs. Arrived Istanbul. 1150Hrs. Briefed at Airport CP with
Task Force#1 FEMA Florida. Drove to Adapazari in small car with local
volunteer SAR folks. 1640Hrs. Arrived and briefed at CP to just go start
searching areas. NO ICS system set up. Set up my camp with German
team.1705 Hrs. First Building searched called "The Plaza" Cumbunyet Mah.
Dr. Kamilsok's office building. Valorie found 3 DOA. 1757Hrs. Searched a
collapsed Bakery store on Char St. and Sasyapastone St. Found one Dead.
1900Hrs. Very tired, rested. Base camp with teams from Hungary, Belgium,
Germany, Switzerland, and USA. Met with representative from Governors
office. Each district has a different government. We got into a heated
discussion with all teams as the Turkish Government feels there are no
more survivors and want to bulldoze all of the buildings and spread
lime. We all said no. But they started telling every one (All team
leaders) that if we quarantine the areas, you'll be here for a minimum
of one month then. The Belgium team left that night. 2215 Hrs. Sipi St.
near Bakery Found 1 Dead and a 14 yo girl ALIVE. She was buried under
collapsed home, brick construction, in bedroom. Local rescuers dug her
out. Made the news. 2300Hrs. Did Taped interview with CBS. Hungry Team
with me during live find and they dug her out. 2400Hrs. Went to bed. Too
hot, stressed. The stench of death is every where.
08-22-99 Sun. 99-1448-127(G). Turkey Earthquake. 0400Hrs. Searched
building near Irik St.in Adapazari. No alerts. 0429Hrs. Searched another
building next door found 2 dead. 0540Hrs. Searched Yenidogan Fabrihn St.
and Tung St. Found one dead, one alive. 50 yo woman trapped in bedroom
under four stories of debri. Local military and police providing
security. Ambulance transporting victims, both dead and alive. Fire
Dept. standing by and watching. Doing nothing. Military spreading LIME
for disease control. Had to ask them to stop as it was hurting all of
the search dogs noses, eyes, feet. Also had to ask the heavy equipment
operators to stop using machines so we could bring search dogs in to
search buildings. Many of the dead that we found, were in buildings
already cleared by USAR teams from Spain, Italy, and other countries
that didn't have search dogs. Lots of glass, sharp metal, power lines
down everywhere. Buildings some standing fine with just broken glass.
Others collapsed right on the spot. 0800Hrs. Searched another building
two blocks away and found 3 dead. 1100Hrs. Searched another building
next door found 1 dead. 1200Hrs. Took a much needed break. The heat is
horrible and so is the stench of death. Valorie very tired and
depressed. Cleaned up self, repacked gear, and cleaned up Valorie.
1600Hrs. Marla and Suha gave us a ride to Istanbul. Hyatt Regency in
Istanbul Rm#407, comp room Val is first dog ever to spend night at Hyatt
there. 1700Hrs. Did interview with USA Today. Talked with Mary N. Biddle
People Magazine. 1200Hrs. Met with LA Times #401 Mary Beth Sheridan. F/
Mexico. 1300Hrs. Met with NTV reporter and crew.
Discussed government’s position on closing search down and bulldozing
buildings. Talked with Philidelphia Enquirer and Washington Post
reporters. 1400Hrs. Went into Avcilar City west of Istanbul. Met witth
General Figuaro. Gave consent for us to search four building they were
in the process of bulldozing. B#1 2 dead. B#2 1 dead. B#3 1 dead B#4 0
finds. All buildings unstable, not shored up, and very dangerous to
search. No looting observed. HOT outside. 1458Hrs. Admin. First Aid to
Valorie. She cut her left rear pad deep. 1600Hrs. Left Aviclar, toured
stricken areas. Met with Military CP for Avcilar. They refused to allow
any more search dog teams to search in their sector. 3 more live
recoveries occurred today throughout the area. This has to be an
embarrassment to the government who is closing down SAR
Operations.1700Hrs. Dinner meeting with Marla and Sammy. 1900Hrs. Went
to Sammy’s home and spent night. Cleaned Val. Self, Gear, wrote reports.
Emailed M. Keating. I called airlines, I cannot get out until the Aug
29. So I'm here. Will use the time to teach the people post disaster
operations. Work with NTV ref: story about before, during, after a quake
on what to do. Many people are uneducated about earthquakes and don't
understand they can move back into their homes that haven't been
damaged. They are too scared and ill informed. The Government troops I'm
being told are so corrupt, they do what they want.Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1
We were informed that the two live victims that Valorie and Dax found in
the rubble had died during extraction/rescue. This according to the
Doctor on scene. SO both dogs were correct in all of their live and dead
finds. *Witnesses: Marla Petal (0216) 391-9055 Sammy Nasreddin (212)
262-3933. Email: samrem@superonline.com Returned home, cleaned gear,
dog, self. Rested. Performed CISD/CISM on team members and local victims
of the quake with councelor Marla. She did a good job.08-26-99 Repacked
SAR gear. Worked on reports. Tried to contact M Keating. LM. Took a long
walk to deal with the death that I’ve seen. Toured the city. Met with
some FEMA support teams. Wrote reports. Worked in various areas. Found
nothing new. Visited the hospital and did grief therapy with the
children who lost all of their families, and homes. Worked on training
two Turkish K-9 SAR dog Teams all day so they can continue their work.
08-27-99 Friday. 99-1448-127(L). Went to the town of Degirmendere. We
obtained approval to enter this town for SAR Purposes. Many teams have
gone home, but still, many are sticking it out. We have people from
Japan, Turkey, England, Holland, Germany, USA, S. Africa. Went to
Building # 1. Val gave one live/one dead alert. We heard tapping from
within. Everyone was happy and yelling with joy. We confirmed with 2nd
dog team and a sensitive microphone. They dug for 3 hrs. Returned to
reconfirm the exact spot and both dogs gave death alerts. The person had
died during the rescue attempt. Went to second building, obtained two
death alerts.
They uncovered a man and woman sleeping in their bed holding each other
dead. We also uncovered another older mans remains. Went to third
building SAR Dog Dax cut his foot, so we stopped, cleaned up the wound
and administered first aid to his left front pad. Deep cut. Worked Val
on the next three sites. Third building we obtained 2 more death alerts
and one live alert. They began digging. Unknown what the results were of
that rescue effort as dog and handlers were exhausted. Went to fourth
building collapsed and obtained two more death alerts. Both bodies
recovered. One older woman and one younger man. 08-28-99
99-1448-127(M).Had large meeting with the AKUT (Turkish Search and
Rescue). It went well. We debriefed their teams and ourselves ref: the
rescue work and political issues. Discussed ways that might better their
operations. 08-29-99 99-1448-127 (N). Flew home.
09-19-99 99-1468-147 Mult. Co. Missing Child. Waterfront Park. Victim:
Jennifer Bergstrom 5'5' 150 lbs short straight blnde/ blue eyes Meds.
"Zoloff". Race for the Cure T shirt, blue jean shorts, white Nike size 7
t shoes. Mentality of an 8 yo. RP: Susan Bergstrom NW Ashby Ptld Team:
H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Located subject alive and fine.
11-08-99 99-1509-188 Turkey Rescued inj. dog. Found male 1 yo collie x
during training with nasty infected wound in neck. Took it to United
Kennels and cleaned wound and sutured it closed with help from Vet tech.
11-13-99 99-1510-188 A-B. Turkey Earthquake #2. While teaching in
Turkey, (Teaching Search and Rescue to the mountain rescue teams here
and the K-9 teams here). We experienced numerous after shocks from the
quake two months ago. Fri. night. We here in Istanbul felt a strong
quake. It lasted only 30 seconds and then we turned on the news, wow
what a mess. Three cities all small in population about 4000 population
each, were destroyed about 140 miles SE of Istanbul. Near Ankara. So we
all geared up and the Istanbul K-9 team that I've been teaching all week
got the real test for their dogs and themselves. We arrived SATURDAY AM
in a small down near DOKAR, and every other building was leveled. So we
went to work. This was much different then working the quake here two
months ago. This time everyone was helping including the military who
just stood around last time and did nothing. We were the only search dog
team here in this area for two days before more resources were brought
in from Great Britain and other countries. In a cafe there were 24
bodies. In a covered bus stop, there were 7. We found 8 live persons and
21 dead between 6 search dogs teams and mine (Valorie). We would put
Valorie and I in first to identify where they were, then I would bring
in another new team and watch them work. Each handler did their job
great and so did each dog. They avoided the falling debris which could
have killed them and their dog instantly. They avoided the exposed
hazmat and electrical lines, sharp nails, metal and glass that
surrounded the search areas. Once we marked the spots, the ORDOS AND
AKUT (Local search teams) would start digging. Every where that VALORIE
and the other search dog teams hit, we produced either a live or dead
person.
In one 18 hour day, we cleared 18 destroyed structures finding both live
and dead persons. It was approximately 46degrees F which is pretty cold
for these parts and many of the persons we found alive lost a limb or
two. They had been pinned in by heavy concrete structures and the local
doctors and medical personnel had no other choices. It was not uncommon
to return to the search area after they removed the victim to a hospital
and the dog would alert to a dead human body part which turned out to be
a foot attached to a leg.
The most emotional part of the search for me was a home with 7 small
children in it. We located one child alive, age 11. When we dug him out,
he said there were 6 more children. We spent many hours searching this
collapsed structure, digging, and researching. As Val and I were
literally crawling on our stomachs through one section, she alerted
under a couch, I reach down with my hand and felt under it and a
crumpled carpet with the light of my head lamp on my helmet as my light
source and found a little 4 year old boy crushed to death. His face so
innocent, not yet allowed to live his life and experience what it could
have been. He was gone instantly. I checked him to confirm he was dead
(were required to do that) and his body was still warm. Which meant he
had just died. I fought back the tears of anger and frustration and
moved on. We eventually found all of the kids three in the kitchen and
the rest in the stairwell. All dead. Crushed to death. To look into
these parents eyes and through in an interpreter tell them their
children are dead and hear the screams of anguish and pain was horrible.
But to give them closure was a comforting feeling as we all wiped the
tears from our eyes. The total dead as of today stands at around 450
with 1600 injured and thousands homeless. Many more will survive this
one compared to the last one two months ago because the Government
learned their lessons and so did many of the people and we all worked
together as one team to help those stricken. Harry E. Oakes Jr. SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1.
02-03-2000 2000-1562-024 Indonesia, Missing Person. Miranda. Tara
Budiman Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. did consult.
02-10-2000 2000-1566-028 (B). Clack. River RP: Vivian Almond ref: Lost
son. Team:H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2.
Results: Took initial report. Obtained scent articles. Performed Grief
Therapy. Went to victims home/work obtained more scent articles and wit.
interviews. Went to PLS and did search. Found victim and his dog in
water. Verified by K-9-2. M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi.
02-26-2000 2000-1584-046 LA Ca. Missing person. From: "Mary Negrete"
Michael Negrete he disappeared from his dorm at UCLA in the early
morning hours of December 10, 1999. Mary Negrete. Team:H.Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1. Offered services.
02-28-2000 2000-1585-047 (A). Mult. Co. Runaway. M H Portland, Ore.
Results: Determined that M was still in Portland staying at a friends
home. Worked with parents. Initial report, contract, emails, search
room, interviewed friends, called suspect. Returned M home safe. Found
both M and D alive.
04-02-2000 2000-1606-068 (A). Clack. Co. Endangered Runaway. Heather L.
Hunt. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Met with family.
Signed contracts, searched room, obtained photos found child alive.
Returned her into custody of parents.
04-24-2000 2000-1618-080 (A). Adam Parr Mult Co. Missing Person. Team:
H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Took initial report. Signed
contracts, searched room, interviewed family and friends, called bank.
Searched car. Met boat at Willamette Park 0700Hrs. Searched river. (Body
recovered 05-02-2000 where our SAR dogs Alerted. Side scanning sonar
used to locate victim along with dogs.
05-23-00 2000-1628-090(A). Clack. Co. Drowning 21 yo in Clack. River
High Rocks. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Val located
victim in water.
05-27-2000 2000-1635-097(B). Mult. Co. Missing Child Shriners Hospital.
Sean Vinson 12 yo male. Team:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results:
Checked more areas on the hill and down town Portland. Loc. kid at
Barbur Blvd Vet Clinic.
06-18-2000 2000-1651-113 (B). Linn Co. Lebonan, Ore. Ref: 17yo wmj
drowning. RP: Rhonda Dival "Sangster age 17, wmj, Linn County Sanderson
Bridge South Santiam near Crabtree. John Sangster was swimming with two
friends just before 3 p.m. when he was caught in a current, swept into a
large eddy and went underwater about three miles upstream from
Sanderson's Bridge, Linn County Sheriff Dave Burright reported. John is
the son of Arlene Sangster of Albany, a cashier for Northwest Natural,
and Rick Sangster of California. lived with his mother, stepgrandfather
Glenn Gerdlund and Gerdlund's friend in southwest Albany. Team:H. Oakes
SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. Team: M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Pam Stanley
ST1. Results: Drove team down to PLS, Located victim near PLS. Family
advised.
07-15-2000 2000-1673-134 (A). Mult. Co. (Missing Person). Robin Andrews
RP: Rick Kruegger Father is: Bob Andrews. Missing person is Robin
Andrews WFA Bi polar DLS: Today 18 hours ago 5'01" 103lbs Brn frosted
hair. Missing from N Webster St. Portland, Ore. Team:H. Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1. ST- Tori Darnell. K-9-2. Michelle Keating SAR Dog Yogi.
Results: 1750Hrs. R/C from Rick and Bob ref: Missing person. I called
Michelle and placed her on standby. 1810Hrs. I responded to scene. Did
initial interview with family, friends. Obtained signed contract and
scent articles. Val did track to Trimet Bus stop on Interstate blvd.
Called Michelle Keating. She had Yogi do a track. We ended up in the
same site. Family advised. Body located where dogs track to. Police
called.
07-18-2000 2000-1675-136 (A). Mult. Co. Missing person Gov. Island
Justin Robert Nero DLS: Sunday 07-16-2000 Government Island West of I
205 Bridge 1/2 mile. William Otty Rd. Clackamas, Ore. Boat 16' aluminum
open boat. Small horsepower engine. Boat found up stream underneath
bridge. 0130Hrs. Justin was missing. Teams: H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie
K-9-1. M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Results: Found where body went
into river. Family advised.
07-24-2000 2000-1680-142(A). Criminal Complaint filed against Marty
Neiman Search One K-9 Detection team. ref: telephone harassment with
Ore. Dept of Justice and DEM Oregon.
07-27-2000 2000-1682-144(A). Offered services to RCMP. Marcus McKay, an
eight-year-old boy missing for four days in a remote part of Manitoba,
Darlene Dumas, who moved to Mallard, Manitoba, with her son two weeks
ago from Winnipeg. Sergeant Craig Cochrane, the RCMP's Winnipegosis
detachment commander. Marcus was hunting with his stepfather and several
others on Saturday on the east shore of Waterhen Lake Northern Affairs
Minister Eric Robinson. Waterhen General Store. Dauphin Friendship
Centre, we determined what happened to child.
07-31-2000 2000-1690-152(A). Lost child. RP: Terri Hadley SE Romona St.
Portland, Ore. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating SAR dog
Yogi K-9-2. ST N. Irwin. Missing Child age 4 "Kayla" Ragmoni SE Ellis
Portland, Ore. Mother Carmen McKee last seen wearing a blue bathing
suit. Long brown hair. Results: Child missing at 2010Hrs. We were called
at 2045Hrs. Child found upon arrival 12 blocks from PLS.
08-14-2000 Mon. Claudia Kirschoch case Jamaica. R/C from White House and
Senator Frelinghausen. NJ. SAR Dog Valorie and I arrive in Jamaica
0700Hrs. Went to the Negril Gardens Hotel Room# 58. Met with Fred and
Mary Ann and discussed their daughter’s case. Talked with US Ambassador.
08-15-2000 Tues. Did a track off Claudia's scent articles from Beaches
resort Rm:621.
FBI and Local JPD police with us. Tracked Claudia's most recent scent
from her room, west to the ocean sandy beach area, into the water, then
out of the water South East. Then south along the beach to Swept Away
resort. Then East through Swept Away resort to the security gate to the
public road where scent stopped on road. At this time Claudia got into a
vehicle and left the area. There was no stress alerts in this area of
the track so she was not afraid at the time she walked this route. Winds
gusting from the North at 5-15MPH. Clear sky, warm. Searched homes.
Searched Anthony's vehicle on Green Island. Home #1, belongs to Anthony
Grant’s Mother. The vehicle is a White Toyota Corolla 4 door . SAR dog
Valorie gave "MAJOR DEATH ALERTS" after being introduced to Claudia's
scent articles. SAR Dog Valorie alerted in the back seat, trunk, and on
a pair of leather, grey, vibram-soled hiking boots that were stored in
the back of the Toyota. Anthony admitted they were his boots. The soles
appeared to have yellow hard rocks imbedded in them. There were no
grains of sand attached to the insole areas or inseam areas. The boots
appeared to have been worn only once. This disputes Anthony’s statement
that he wore them while on the sandy beach. SAR Dog Valorie also alerted
on Claudia's scent on a cleaning brush located in the back of the car,
and Val also alerted on the gray trunk liner. In Anthony's bedroom, Val
alerted on a MAJOR DEATH ALERTS on a pair of soiled leather gloves and
some clothing found by the FBI teams. These items seized by the FBI.
NOTE: When I informed the FBI team that Anthony's boots needed to be
taken into evidence. Anthony immediately picked up his boots and handed
them to his mother and she immediately started walking away with them. I
had the police stop her. She denies any knowledge of such an incident.
The local police took Anthony to the local police department where we
interviewed him. He repeatedly denied having any idea of what happened
to Claudia. When asked about lying to the police and FBI agents
repeatedly during their initial investigation and again while being
given the polygraph examination, Anthony stated, "None of you know what
you're talking about.” When I explained to Anthony how scent and scent
evidence works, and how search dogs detect scent and the transfer of
scent from one person to another person or another person’s clothing and
vehicle, Anthony stated, "Your dog doesn't know what she's doing.” Then
Anthony's attorney arrived on scene and we explained everything to him
about how search dogs detect scent and the nature of scent. Anthony
continued to deny any wrongdoing through his attorney. 08-16-2000 Wed.
(R). Did a retrack of Claudia's route from Beaches Hotel Rm# 621. Val
did same track ending up at same location along the main road in front
of Swept Away Resort. We then searched pump house areas #5 and #2.
Numerous public and private beaches. In the Longbeach area, SAR dog
Valorie started giving alerts along a treed area in the public beach.
Nothing found. SAR Dog Valorie then started giving strong alerts into
the water by airscenting. Winds from the NW at 10MPH. Searched ocean
from Beaches Resort North to alerts located in the ocean.
SAR Dog Valorie alerted to scent from Claudia in the ocean. In
inspecting the areas up to BBQ Island, there were no physical findings
of any human remains. Met with Det. Calbert Bowen from Jamaican Police.
He took statement ref; our searches, search history. Dinner with
Calbert, Fred, Mary Anne. Dr. Foote met with Val and I inspected
Valorie. (FBI Forensics confirmed Val’s findings).
08-21-2000 2000-1699-161 (A). Egypt Missing Persons Consult Case:Lamia
Eltouny Elizabeth, N.J. 07208 brother's name: Ahmed Eltouny Dena Eltouny
11-02-2000 2000-1737-199 (D). Minnesota. Missing persons cases. ARPIL
GEYER Rose Forcum. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Flew
to Minn. Results: Found victim and evidence. Turned it over to SO.
11-17-2000 2000-1753-215(B). Coos Co. Missing Bow Hunter 46 yo Chris
Lapping. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Drove to
Medford. PU Scent articles, signed contract, interviewed Dawn, searched
home/garage, premises, property and vehicles. Then drove down to
Roseburg and met Teri and family. Drove to search site on Burnt Mtn. Set
up camp. Searched crash site.PU track heading SE f/ Cliff elk trail.
Determined he was dead in the area. Remains in coyote feces.
12-16-2000 2000-1761-223 (A). Missing Person. Clark Co Andrew John
Allinger NE Mattson Rd. Brush Prairie, Wa Date Last Seen: 12-15-2000
Walk up the road goes 3-4 miles. AlderBrook. 5 miles. Team: H. Oakes SAR
Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: tracked missing person to where he got
picked up. CCSO and SKSAR and SSSAR on scene. I then checked the pls
Bank in BG and confirmed he was there. Family advised. Family called.
They received a letter in pm, Andrew walked and rode exactly where Val
tracked. He’s OK up in Seattle, Wa.
01-28-2001 2001-1784-015(A). Wasco. Co. Inj. Snow sledder. Fx left
radius. White River Canyon. Victim: 11 yo Tim Wyman Gladstone Park
Church Trail Inn Youth group. Tim's father is Don. Mother is Sue. Wit.
Pam House Nurse at P/A Psych unit. She gave Tim one oral tylenal. I
admin. hard splint. checked vitals, and made contact with parents
through SO. Teams: H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating SAR Dog
Yogi K-9-2. Results: Pt transported by POV to hospital.
02-18-2001 2001-1793-024(A). Clack. Missing Person Ken Bowlsby SARM.
Team:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. SE Johnson Creek Blvd. Portland,
Oregon. Milw. Ore. 97222. Results: Ken located in Providence Milw.
Hospital.
02-28-2001 2001-1796-027(A). Earthquake Portland, Ore. Inspect.
Montgomery Bldg, OHSU, VA, NW Hills, SW Hills, SE Ptld. Inspected
buildings for victims and damage.
06-27-2001 2001-1886-117 (A). St. Croix. Missing Police Officer Wendell
Williams. CPD. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Flew to
St. Croix for SARM. Missing Police Officer. Search various areas for
Police. Val alerted in Ocean near Hay beach. Police advised. Water
search conducted.
09-08-2001 2001-1960-190(A). Pacific Co. Wash. Missing 8 yo. Rod show.
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. ST: Tiffiny Allen ST#1. Results:
Child found ok by family upon arrival.
09-11-2001 2001-1964-194(A). New York World Trade Center Towers
Terrorist Explosions. Teams:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating
SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Results: Offered services by email and fax to EMS.
Also did TV interview by telephone for Tulsa OK news crew ref: Disaster.
09-13-2001 2001-1964-194(C). New York World Trade Center Towers
Terrorist Explosions. Teams:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating
SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Results: Offered services through Congress
Frelinghausen 11th District NJ. by telephone and contacted NY City F.D.
EOC. Did newspaper interview by telephone for Gresham Newspaper.
09-24-2001 2001-1976-207(A). Marion Co. Missing child. RP:Emily Doss
(Mother) Bunker Ridge Rd. S. Salem, Ore. Husband: Franklin Doss. Sarah
Elizabeth Doss DLS: 09-19-2001 1800Hrs. Team:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie
K-9-1. Results: Did initial telephone interview. Found hiding at
boyfriends home.
10-10-2001 2001-1987-218(A) Missing Person. Clack. Co. Poss. Runaway.
RP: Starla Busselle Faye Ore. City, Ore. 97045. Daughter: Tracy Ann
Busselle We recovered her daughter back alive.
11-12-2001 2001-2019-250(B). Clark. Co. Missing altz pt Mr. Earl Sexton
Met at victim's residence. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. M.
Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Results: We located where his body was in
Washugal River. CCSO and family advised.
12-01-2001 2001-2031-262(B). Tillamook Co. Missing Persons. Eugene H.
Hyatt, 18, Kami L. Vollendroff, 16. Team:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Results. Drove to Depot Bay Boiler Bay winds f/ SW 70mph raining hard.
Val gave death alerts in the bay.
12-04-2001 2001-2032-263(A). Attempted suicide. RP: Roy Holland R/C
2116Hrs. Missing Person: Tamara marie Holland Wife DLS: Today 1255Hrs.
Central time. Killeen Texas, Last seen wearing blue jeans w/ right knee
torn. White tennis shoes size 6-1/2. Grey color sweet top w/ hood.
Wedding band, marki diamond. 5'07" 120 lbs. WF blue eyes. Killeen PD
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results. RP Called ref: obtaining
a private dog team. I sent him an email ref: Suggestions on how to find
his wife. Wife found alive.
03-08-2002 2002-2150-080(A). Mult. Co. Assisted in Arrest of Mike
Neighbor to Nancy Irwin. Mike approached me shaken. Explained he was
high on meth and just violated his R.O. PPB arrested him. Val held him
until ppb arrived.
03-15-2002 2002-2146-076(H). Clack. Missing Child Ashley Pond. Team:H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Searched Wards property. Made
contact with Lori from the ptld FBI, did interview with Don and his wife
(lori's step dad and mother). Checked library records, talked with
neighbors. Did search down in creek. Did interview with AP reporter.
Results: See report. (I believe ashley's remains are under wards poured
cement. I advised the FBI). Aug. 2002 FBI Finally dug up the concrete.
SAR Dog Valorie was correct. Ashley was stuffed inside a 50 gal barrel.
Four feet down under concrete slab. Val was the only search dog of the
14 they had search wards property that located where Ashley was. Bodies
were in the freezer in the kitchen. FBI refused to acknowledge we found
Ashley. We went public four days before they dug Ashley up and told the
media where her body was. We were right.
03-20-2002 2002-2146-076(I). Clack. Missing Child Ashley Pond. Team: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Searched Hwy 213 and found two
femur bones in canyon below Hwy. Took them to hospital and orthopedics
verified these were human. (Fresh Human). Turned them in along with
reports, photos on cd and hair that we recovered the other day to Oregon
City PD MK and Y find human hair inside coyote poop. All given to OCPD
property officer. PD never gave us credit for finding a 3rd body. Oops.
05-29-2002 2002-2255-185(A). Drowning. From: jenny hucko: Wednesday, May
29, 2002 7:59 PM Subject: missing father hello, my name is jenny hucko.
a week ago my father was boating on the tippecanoe river in winemac,
indiana with two friends, and the boat capsized. Two of them, including
my father fell into the water, and they still havent found him. His
friend got to shore. The first two days they had alot of state police
there and a few boats. They refused to dive because they said the river
was too high and the current was going too fast. Since then, the river
has dropped a few feet, and the temperature has risen. They still have
relucted to do anything. They say it is a recovery and there’s nothing
they can really do. We offered a number with volunteer teams and
bloodhound dogs. They refused. There were never any land searches or k9
dogs, etc. So we have gotten family and friends together ourselves and
looked day and night, but still nothing. This is tearing us apart, and
we are desperate to find any kind of help, or information on what we
could do next. My father was an excellent fisherman, swimmer, and
hunter, and none of this makes sense to us. You'd think they'd be doing
everything in their power to find him. So if you could please contact me
with any kind of information, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you,
Jenny Hucko Team: H. Oakes Results: Did email consult. They did what I
asked them to do and found their father’s body.
06-06-2002 2002-2269-199(A). Missing person Germany. British Louise
Kerton disappeared in Germany at the end of July 2001. No one has seen
or heard from her since. This is extremely out of character. She knew no
foreign languages and her bank accounts & mobile phones remain inactive.
German police forces will not do anything to search for her. The family
she was staying with are extremely suspicious. They are known by English
police from a previous murder enquiry. They will not cooperate with our
family or the police. There are vast fields/woodlands/quarries
surrounding where she went missing that have never been searched. The
family, our private investigators & English police strongly feel they
should be. A psychic who has solved many missing persons cases in the
past says that her body is located near Kemper Werth and Diescholl on
the following maps Team:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Placed team on
sb. Did email consult.
06-07-2002 2002-2270-200(A).Montana. Missing Person. RP: Missing Person.
RP: Lisa Kresge (West Galer St. AptE 401 Seattle, Wa. Michelle Erin
Kresge age 31. Husband Bob McEaney Here is the information sent by my
brother-in-law. South Avenue East, Missoula, MT . I am leaving for MT in
a few minutes so I will have to contact you when I arrive. Thank you
very much for your support. Sincerely, Lisa Kresge ----- Michele Kresge,
last seen walking in the University neighborhood and/or the Mt. Sentinel
trails on Thursday, June 6, at 5:15 pm. Height 5'"2 Weight 134lb Hair
Brown Eyes Green Was wearing a short sleeve grey cotton t-shirt (as seen
in the picture), Dark Blue Wrangler Blue Jeans, and Blue/Dark Grey Lowa
low cuffed day hikers. Team:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Did consult.
06-07-2002 2002-2270-201(A). RP: Sharon Schroeder Missing Regina Wright
Lake of the Ozarks Missouri Woman missing w/ 45 muscle relaxers and a
loaded 38 revolver. Suicidal. Did consult. Team:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie
K-9-1. See reports.
06-07-2002 2002-2271-202(A). Missing 14 yo in Salt Lake City Utah. WMA
5'08 dark hair, small cal. weapon. Tan denim type jacket and whitie
baseball cap. Gray Nisson or honda. Missing Child is: Elizabeth Smart
age 14, abducted 3 days ago from home. Team:H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie
K-9-1. Results: Offered services by fax. They refused. She was
eventually found 3 miles away from the PLS. See reports.
06-08-2002 2002-2266-196(E). San Diego Co. Missing Person. RP: H. Oakes
Missing person B Oakes. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results:
Found him alive. Faxed reports to everyone
07-21-2002 2002-2324-254(A). Clack. Co. Missing Person. RP: Kristy
Schaefer 44 yo male Randy Johnson Douglas Way L/O missing x 4 hrs. Care
Giver Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Did telephone
consult and placed on sb while LO PD Did their search. Subject found
alive 4 blocks away.
08-13-2002 2002-2351-281(A). Missing Persons. RP: Carol Missing 27 yo
wma Court Demas from NJ. Father George Demas Mother Bea. DLS July 15.
Huay Huash Mtn Range Lima Peru Chiquiam City Trek PLS: Huraz. Dear Mr.
Oakes, I am coordinating the search for Mr. Court Demas and his
traveling partner. At this time, we have a team on site led by Joel
Hardin. They are working with local resources, including a local canine
team. One of their tasks is to determine what, if any, additional canine
resources are necessary. If additional resources are required, I will
work with the family to arrange for them. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie
K-9-1. Results: Did email Consult. Worked on logistics.
10-13-2002 2002-2409-338(A). Clack. Co. Injured Mtn Biker. Team: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Denise w/ her two G.S. Dogs. Results: Came
across mtn biker w/ injured right leg. Laceration. Results: Bandaged
leg.Totals: FAH
10-18-2002 2002-2404-333(D). SHAWN DAMIAN HORNBECK Team:H. Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1. Results: Flew to Missouri and worked SARM. Did initial
interview, gathered scent items. Did night SARM Track. Cleared areas.
Located DOA Site. Did cisd w/ Family.
12-09-2002 2002-2572-400(A). NY City. Camera Planet TV Show Amy Rubins
Pet Detective stories Producer Bruce K. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie
K-9-1. Results: Sent her info. by email and telephone.
12-18-2002 2002-2575-403(D). SARM SP Dom. Republic. Sean Clinton Stover.
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Sent them telephone
message and email consult. Worked on logistics. Flew to Dom. Republic.
Met w/ Stovers in Philiy and we flew to Dom. Repub. Then looked at
Hospital and city morgue for their son, sean. Then drove 6 hours West
towards SAR Area. Airlines lost my luggage. Did search. Val located
Sean's death site. He had been killed by a crocodile. Bay of Eagles.
American Embassy notified.
01-06-03 2003-2591-002(B). Clack. Co. Missing Child. RP: Bonnie Kellar
SE Olsen Rd. Mil. DLS: Dec. 20 Hiedi Joyce White Team:H. Oake SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1. J. Russell K-9-3 ST. Results: Went to Bonnie's home,
interviewed her. Obtained a scent item, photographs, missing persons
profile, and a signed contract. Eventually tracked down Hiedi.
01-14-03 2003-2610-022(A). Missing Woman Modesto, Ca. San Diego, Ca.
Lacie Rocha Peterson. Age: 27 DLS: 12-24-02 0930 in laLoma Area in
Modesto, Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Offered
services. Police Dept wasted $150,000 in tax payers $$$ money when Val
could have done the work in 1 day for far less $.
02-05-03 2003-2641-052(A). Mult. Co. Carol interview ref: Dog Nose News
ref: NASA Recovery efforts and cadaver dogs. Carol Frischmann Team: H.
Oakes Results; Did telephone and email interview.
03-12-03 2658-069(B). Clack. Co. Hood River (Missing shoe shoer). RP:
Marnie Frauen Ref: Fred Frauen NE 27th Ave. Portland, Ore. Team: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. J. Russell
SAR Dog Mocha K-9-3. Did initial phone interview. Gave her our web site.
Janna made first contact upon my request. We discussed what we could and
couldn't do and when and also CISD/CISM and use of dogs. Prob. factors.
04-29-03 2003-2792-102(A). Disaster aid. Urgent Humanitarian Call my
name is Dr. Fatima Al-Abdali a member of a Voluntary Committee for POWs
n Kuwait. : This is an Urgent Humanitarian call for your good self and
other specialized Rescue Teams for Missing. Our sons and daughters are
in Prisons in Iraq and trapped underground at different levels. Sadam
Regime had built on these traps some sewage systems, concrete walls, and
basements are filled with water and closed with mysterious doors. We
need trained dogs, pumps for water suction, sonar equipment for
detection, and drills to break the concrete walls and locked doors to
reach them. We had sent many civilian and military teams to Iraq but not
specialized, they only have information and maps about those suspected
prisons. Please this is a very urgent call. We will arrange for all your
requirements. We need your urgent support and response. Thank You Dr.
Fatima Al-Abdali POWs Families Committee 25/4/2003 Kuwait Dear Sir, We
are a group of Families of POWs and Missing Kuwaitis (about 600
persons), who are held in Iraqi Prisons since 1990 after the Invasion of
Kuwait. As you know Iraq has been liberated from Sadam Regime since the
20th, of March 2003. Until this moment we dont have any information
about our sons and daughters in Iraq. We appreciate if you can send us
the mechanism and the procedure of having your help and service to
search and rescue our POWS. We can arrange through some NGOs, the
Government and the Parliament here in Kuwait. Dr. Fatima Al-Abdali We
would be glad to help. We need to agree on many things before we leave.
1). What are the names of the local area veternarians that can help our
search dogs should they get hurt during a search? 2). How bad are the
land minds in the areas we will be searching? 3). Is the Kuait hospital
up and running again? 4). We have confined space cameras, underwater
cameras, search dogs, and listening devices for missing persons.
(trapped under rubble).
Do you have climbing ropes? Harnesses? What kind of digging and shoring
equipment do you have available? Hand tools, ? What can the IRAQ
government pay per dog team per day for us to respond? We usually charge
$200. per hour plus $25.00 per hour travel time each way. It's 40 hours
travel time each way, we're guessing about one months worth of work (AT
LEAST). Where would we be staying? What's the contact # to the retired
General (US) that is assisting kuait in rebuilding? Is the airport open
for us to fly into? Who would pick us up? HOw would we be transported
from the airport to the staging area? Thanks harry oakes SAR Coordinator
I.K.9.S.A.R.S. Results: Sent copy to Pdx FBI.
07-25-03 2003-2863-172(D). Nappa Co. Drowning Lake Berryessa, Ca. 5800
Knoxville Rd Napa, Ca. 94558 Victim: Jose Louis Ramos July 12, 03 Nappa
News Exmeraldo victims twin sister. Results: 0915Hrs. Started driving
south on I-5. At 1500Hrs. My veh. Broke down (veh engine light on. Veh.
Overheated). I called Vanc. And Roseburg. Toyota. They towed me to
Roseburg, exchanged veh. With a rental unit. I changed over gear. Drove
down to Lake Berryessa. Arrived Lake Berryessa 0300Hrs. Slept until
0630. Started recon of lake and shoreline. Lots of rattlesnakes. 0900
Client finally arrived with her husband and her brothers cousins,
father, friends. Went to PLS with Ezmeralda and her husband, val and I
1000 feet off shore line of island 60MN 125f of water. Val’s first
alert. 1500’ out at 60D MN val went nutso. Informed Sheriff and other
side scanning sonar person involved. Val’s 3rd alert at 500’off
shoreline 60MN. Diagramed area. Debriefed NCSO, Ezmeralda,
08-16-03 2003-2888-198(A). Missing Climber. Fred Freaun case. Clack. Co.
Mt Hood. I went to PU Brandon for SARM and he never answered the door
nor the telephone. He later called me and stated “he was in the shower”.
I climbed to Ill. Rock area. Val and I rode the chair lift up and back
and did search in crevasse while K-9-3 JR and Mocha and K-9-7 C and Ogen
did canyon sar. Found where body is stuck in crevasse at 9500 foot
level. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. J.R. SAR dog Mocha K-9-3.
CM SAR Dog Oden K-9-7. Rescue service. Our web site is www.k9sardog.com
Body is still there. S.O. Ignored our findings.
08-30-03 2003-2899-209(B). Coos Co. Death Investigation reopened. Chris
Lapping. See 11-19-2000 2000-1753-215(D). RP Jim Lapping Terri Mother
Teams :H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie K-9-1. C, Umphrey’s SAR Dog K-9-7.
Results: Drove to sight, hiked in, determined it was a suicide. Family
advised
09-17-03 2003-2924-234(A). TV Show consult. Amy Stark Researcher It's A
Miracle PAX Television Team:H. Oakes Results: Returned several calls and
emails ref: The Angela Bush case.
12-08-03 2003-2998-308(A). Clark. Co. Injured Horse Rider. Kozy Manor
Stables. Rider inj. Heidi Dietz See report on file. Team: H. Oakes.
Results: Did initial verbal and visual survey, called 911, had her
friend Jennifer perform c spine protection, called jeff her husband,
filed report.
12-23-03 2003-3012-322(B). King Co. Missing persons case Everett, Wa.
RP: Donna Yantis Canby, Ore. 97013 Sister Anderson, (Maiden - Yantis)
Shari Christine DOB 10-07-50 Reported missing Everett Mall Dec. 02-2000.
By husband John Anderson Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results;
Drove up to make contact w/ Suspect, found veh. Val gave death alerts.
See reports. Reports turned over to detective.
02-04-04 2004-3057-026(C). Lost person. Mexico. RP: Jim Vos Vanc. BC.
San Jose Del Calbo Cabo San Lucas. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Results: Worked early am search in Arroyo area, then night search in
desert and ocean. Did water search. Val alerted in specific area.
02-24-04 2004-3069-044(A). Japanese TV 212-865-8410 Wants to do team
filming in March. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Did
telephone and email consult.
03-31-04 2004-3101-074 (A). Missng Person Wisconsin. Audrey Ruth Seiler
WFA DOB 01-25-84 5’08 120lbs brn/blue UW Madison Student. Sat. March 27,
04 0230Hrs. Regent apartments 1402 Regent St. Wearing Burgundy
Abercrombie fitch hooded sweatshirt w/ large white #’s, navy blue
sweatpants, white flip flops or white t shoes. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1. Results: Sent pd offer to assist and suggestions.
Results: Pending.
07-07-04 St. Croix USVI 2004-3179-154(A). Body Recovery (old human
bones) Worked SAR Dog Valorie on actual cadaver area search. Hwy 70 near
707. Unearthed soccer field. Located death site of a human and some bone
fragments. All items diagramed, photographed. Took Bones to Gov. Juan
Luis Hospital pathologist. He confirmed they were human bones. Turned
over to police.
07-11-04 St. Croix USVI 2004-3180-155(A). Found Human Remains. Teams: H.
Oakes J. Russell. St. Croix USVI K-9 teams. Hwy 70-707 area. All K-9
teams did tight Type 3 grid search and found fresh human bones,
schrunchee and chewed up shirt button up type turned over to VIPD
forensics.
07-15-04 2004-3182-157(A). St. Croix USVI Escapee Search with
Corrections and VIPD. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. J. Russell
SAR Dog Mocha St. Croix USVI ST#1 Elroy Moorehead. Four prison
Correction guards armed with automatic weapons. Flack vests and side
arms. Prisoner 2100Hrs. met at Prison Asst Warden Gloria Samuell
Results: See report to Dep. Chief VIPD. We identified the house the
suspect was in.
07-28-04 2004-3199-174(A). Wash. Co. Meet TV producer Tiller Russell
Recreation Ward Weaver Ashley Pond Case.
11-08-04 2004-3284-284(A). Hood River Co. Missing Person. Kimberly Ann
Forbes Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Located human
death scent in Columbia River. Sheriff’s office and detectives advised.
11-15-04 2004-3243-243(E). Clark. Co. Wash. Carolyn Killaby Search.
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2.
Results; Found some human remains.
01-06-05 2005-3349-006(B).. Lost person Herminder Sidhu Hwy 1 Rock
Climbing. Moss Beach. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.Results:
Tracked Herminder where he fell to his death on the south side into the
Ocean.
02-27-05 2005-3405-063(A). Pierce Co. S.O. Drownings x 2. Lake Kapowsin
Thomas Johnson age 26. (Missing presumed drowned). Kenneth Brisby, 26.
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. J. Russell SAR Dog Mocha K-9-3.
Results: Located both subjects whereabouts in water in front of their
family and friends. S.O. Advised. Police ignored our findings. Victims
surfaced where we flagged. Family gave us full credit for the findings.
Shame on Pierce County.
04-17-05 2005-3455-109(B). Eureka, Ca. Missing Person – Murder case.
Brad Thompson from Garberville, Ca. DLS 02-24-05. Teams: H. Oakes SAR
Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Drove to Ca. Met w/ Family. Obtained scent
articles, searched house, location where veh. Was found. Val gave death
alerts and tracked death scent to river. See reports and diagrams.
06-21-05 2005-3520-176(A). Marion Co. Missing 15 yo. Scott Spansel Jr.
Wallace Marine Park. Salem, Ore. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Results: Drove to Salem, did search. Located victim's position in large
pond in Wallace park. Police and family advised. The next day (Wed) an
Ore. STATE CERTIFIED CADAVER DOG TEAM was brought in and they failed to
find anything in front of the victims family, friends and law
enforcement. The victim’s body floated up 3 feet from where I put my
flagging in the pond. Again we're right and the state of Oregon has
failed the families.
07-12-05 2005-3548-202(A). Lake Berryessa, Ca. Drowning. Victim: Kellie
Forristall Did telephone consult. Victim’s boyfriend located her remains
after doing what I suggested to find her.
07-31-05 2005-3572-226. Clack. Co. Missing person Carlos Rubio. Teams;
H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. C. Umphrey’s SAR Dog Thor K-9-7.
Results: Found victim’s right shoe, bloody cling, tied balloon and nylon
cord. All items photographed and flagged. This after local search dog
teams and ground search teams failed to find anything.
.
08-04-05 2005-3575-229(A). Sabine Parrish, Lo. Missing person. Missing 2
days Missing person. Mykel Sonnier Mother Denise Sonnier. Richard
Sonnier DOB 04-01-56. WMA, 6’01 155lbs. Brn hair, no facial hair, wears
reading glasses. Medical heart condition High BP, Cardio Mioprathy.
Since 2000. Wearing: Pair of Cammo pants, tennis shoes size 12. white T
shirt. Catholic brown jewelry. Bad back. Pain meds. Ruptured five discs.
Mult. Surgeries. Muscle relaxers. 323 Mike St. Many, Louisiana. Team: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Pending. Totals: .15 min. 0 miles.
Local volunteer Fire Dept. from Peg Lake and Lake side F.D. vol.
Searched for 3 hours. Totals: 180,000 acre lake, alligators. Did
consult.
08-05-05 2005-3577-231(A). Homorsa, Fl. Missing 61 yo man. Kathleen
Howarth Kathleen Howarth wrote: Help find our dad and bring him home....
Please visit his website: www.findgeorgeskipzelaya.com Team: H. Oakes
SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Sent client contract and info. Totals:
.15 min. 0 miles.
08-17-05 2005-3588-242(A). King Co. Missing Person. RP: Jill & Juan
Reyes Pl. Renton, Wa. Son Sean Casey McClain Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1. Results. Sent contract, prepped for SARM. Drove to Search
site. Canceled near
08-23-05 2005-3594-248(A). Wash. Co. Lost Bearded dragon, Twister”. RP:
Stephanie Thompson SW 5th Beaverton, Ore. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie
K-9-1. Results: Val located it alive in 1 minute under couch PLS.
Totals; 3 Hrs. 80 miles.
08-28-05 2005-3596-250(A). Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans Emergency
Management Ofc (504) 565-7200 1300 Perdido St # 9eo6 New Orleans, LA
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. On S/B. Results: Faxed Governor’s
office 225-342-7099. Pending. Sent offer to help. FEMA Had this so
%&#@ed up they turned away our services along with the US Navy, Houston
and Dallas Fire Depts as well as Police officers from Idaho. We wrote
Senator Clinton and with her help got the director of FEMA and The
director of the ARC fired.
If this disaster had happened in Beverly Hills, Ca. the victims would
have been rescued in hours instead of weeks later. We did assist in the
overhead logistical support for animal rescue efforts with LSU. Office
of Public Affairs Louisiana State University 3960 West Lakeshore Drive
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808 Vini
09-09-05 2005-3572-226(P). Clack. Co. Death investigation. Re:Carlos
Rubio SARM Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. J. Russell SAR Dog
Mocha K-9-3. Results: Drove to 4220 Rd. Hiked into location where body
was recoverd. Located game stalking overslippers which explains how
Carlo’s shoes were so clean. Found remains in bear feces. Debriefing
with family. Totals: 10 hrs. 300 miles.
09-20-05 2005-3614-268(A). Klamath Falls Medford Ore. TV producer Re: A.
Pond Case. Bishop, Shane (NBC Universal)" <Shane.Bishop@nbcuni.comMr.
Oakes, I am an NBC News producer working on a story about the deaths of
Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis. Your name and story appears in a new
book by Linda O'Neal. It looks to me as if authorities could have found
these girls 5 months earlier if they'd listened to you.. Thanks Shane
Bishop Producer Dateline NBC 541-899-0201 Office 917-841-8893.
10-08-05 2005-3626-280(A). India/Pakistan Earthquake. 7.6 Teams: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Results:
Sent email to Embassy LA, Ca. Offered services. They couldn’t afford to
pay our way and neither could we.
10-21-05 2005-3455-109(J). Myers Flats, Ca. Missing Person – Murder
case. RP: Carl Re: Brad Thompson from Garberville, Ca. Teams: H. Oakes
SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Met with family, debriefed. Asked to do
another search along S Eel River near Arch hyway. Val located an area
where she smelled a dead human body. I then drove to Eureka and met w/
Detective Pete Jimenez. Advised him of Valorie’s findings.
11-01-05 2005-3654-306(A). Clack. Co. Ashley Pond Interview w/ MSNBC
Clackamas Park. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Did
interview re: Pond case. Totals: 5 hrs. 161 miles
11-01-05 2005-3654-306(B). Clack. Co. Ashley Pond Interview w/ MSNBC
Lake Sacajewa Park. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Did
more film shoot with MSNBC re: Pond case. Totals: 1 hr. 10 miles
12-29-05 2005-3706-357(B). Jefferson Co. Wa. Poss. Suicide. RP: Bob
Carter . Re: Lynn Ohana Port Townsend , Wa. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1. Results: Drove up to Port Townsend, met w/ Bob. Drove to
PLS. Obtained scent articles. Did search. See reports.
01-07-06 2006-3714-004(D). Suicide RP: Suzanne Bellingham, Wa. 98225.
Suicide victim was Peter Holzman. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Results: Drove to residence. Did death notifications and grief therapy.
Man walking his dog located Peter DOA sitting against a tree 300 yards
up on the ridgeline above the parking lot.
02-07-06 2006-3744-034(A). Tillamook Co. Drownings x 3. Team: H. Oakes
SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: UCSG recovered one near Twin Rocks. Jeff
King, 30, of Garabaldi, The captain and owner of the vessel, Craig L.
Larsen, 32, of Warrenton, and crew member Trona B. Griffin, 30, also of
Garabaldi, are still missing. SAR Dog Valorie located one of the
remaining missing near the debris pile boat, North of Tillamook Jetty.
USCG Tillamook and Garabaldi stations advised.
02-17-06 2006-3753-043(A). Philippine Mud slides. Sent letter and email
to Wash. DC. Offered services.
02-20-06 2006-3755-045(A). Iraq. RP: Ajay Surtani Iraq re: Bomb
Detection Dogs. See reports.
02-28-06 2006-3737-027(B). Skam. Co. Downed Aircraft. Team; H. Oakes SAR
Dog Valorie K-9-1. ST Carol Dreyer. Searched area of HPOD. Nothing
found. Heavy snow on the ground and in the trees.
03-16-06 2006-3770-060(A). Klamath Co. Missing Family in Motorhome.
Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Sent offer to assist to
Senator.
03-18-06 2006-3772-062(A). Kaui, Hawaii Broken earthen dam search for
victims. Team; H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Offered services
to gov. office. Teams Placed on Standby.
04-09-06 2006-3790-080(A). Cowlitz Co. DAT Response. Trailer Fire
Alabama St. Longview, Wa. 98632 Victim A. M. H. Oakes Bob Galivan.
Results: Met at ARC Longview. PU ERV. Drove to site.
05-02-06 2006-3822-112(A). Columbia Co. Cadaver Search. Delina Megar
Team; H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results:Val located four sites.
Consulted with land owners. Old Indian artifact area.
06-14-06 2006-3890-181(A). Thurston Co. Missing Person Christopher
Bridgeman Jr., Missing since 1964. Evening magazine did a story.
Consulted with family.
06-20-06 2006-3902-193(A). Polk Co. Missing Person. Byron Jeffrey
Fusselman disapeared Nov 4, 2005. Case pending. Consulted w/ Family.
06-23-06 2006-3909-199(A). Yakima Co. Missing 15 yo girl. Greg (Father)
Missing child Kirstie Gurnlose. Team; H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Results: Did consult with family.
07-11-06 2006-3956-236(B). Murdered victim search. Byron Fusselman. Case
pending. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Team placed on
S/B.
07-16-06 2006-3968-257(A). Himalayas South America Jose Antonio Delgado
Has been in his tent at 7.000 meters for 4 days in mountain nanga
parbat. He has a GPS and a radio. He is continiusly talking with his
group but they cant rescue him because the weather is not good and is
snowing, so the snow over his tent is too soft. we just need a
helicopter but in Pakistan nobody seem to help. Just the army but I
couldn’t contact the army. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1.
Results; Started working on getting permission to go over there. Sent
letters to US Air Force asking for an emergency air drop.
07-21-06 2006-3976-266(A). Grant Co. RP: Antonio Javier Ramos DLS:
06-03-06 Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Did consult.
07-24-06 2006-3983-272(A). Cowlitz Co. Missing Person Lori Hamm. Team;
H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Faxed offer to help to LPD Det.
07-26-06 2006-3983-272(B). Cowlitz Co. Missing Person Lori Hamm. Team;
H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Searched various areas.
07-30-06 2006-3988-277(D). Lost climber RP: Missing Jon Francis
Stillwater Saw Tooth Mountain Ranger Idaho. Team; H. Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1. Results: did all night search. Stayed on the mtn all
night long searching. Val indicated death alert from South. Family
advised. Our findings were documented and turned over to the family,
Police, Governor’s office and USFS.
09-21-06 2006-4078-378(A). Missing person Cyn Dee (Cynthia) Maurer
Height: 5'10" Weight: 160lbs Eyes: Brown Age: 50 Last Seen: Sept 19th
9:30pm - Silver Honda Accord 2005 4-Door. Heading to Barnes & Noble
Walnut Creek from Dublin. Results: Offered our assistance. Sent overhead
management information.
10-03-06 2006-4104-404(A). Cowlitz Co. Child Safety. RP: Hello Harry
this is April from US bank. I would love some more info for protecting
my son. Your fingerprint and child id cards and Child Safety Info.
Thanks April. Have a great day! Sent info.
10-09-06 2006-4114-414(B). Tillamook Co. Missing Hunter. RP: Norman
Moore. 79 yo male. Veh. Located in forest with hearing aid, weapon, in
veh. Flat tire. Foss Road in the Cook Creek area around 10 a.m. Results:
Drove to Tillamook. Met w/ RP. Obtained contract, down payment and scent
articles. Drove to PLS did search. Val located the area where Norman’s
death scent was present on west side of canyon. Family and S.O. advised.
10-25-06 2006-4128-428(D). Crater Lake, Ore. Missing child. Samuel
Boehlke Cleetwood Cover area. Portland, Ore. 97221. Team: H. Oakes SAR
Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Drove
to Crater Lake, Did search for Sam. Val tracked SARM and located where
he was dead. Possible cougar. Also located what appeared to be two
strands of human hair in predator feces. Park Ranger given hair for
evidence. Family advised.
11-12-06 2006-4167-467(B). Missing Person. RP: Re: Michael missing from
LV Nv. RP: Tara Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Did
overhead management and consulting for family.
11-29-06 2006-4198-498(A). Inj. Child. Cowlitz Co. First Aid Pt:
Alison T. on payment in front of 616 20th ave. Longview, Wa. 98632 12 yo
female child fell with numerous witnesses on pavement. Small lac. On
forhead. I applied 2x2 gauze pad and kling. Step father on scene.
Patient transported to hospital.
12-01-06 2006-4200-500(A). Missing Kim Family. Southern Oregon. SFPD.
Case# 061269588 Kim family. PLS Ptld. Ore. DLS: 11-25-06. Cal DOESF 2005
Silver SAAB SW SFPD Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: We
received a request from the private search efforts to assist. I did the
initial overhead management for the Kim search. Their family and friends
refused to sign our contract for services. So the only thing I could do
was to give them some free advise.
They did listen to my suggestion and ping’ed the cellular telephone to
determine the area where the vehicle and family were later found by
volunteer search helicopter. The sheriff nor their search teams never
did find these victims. It was strictly the volunteer helo pilots.
If the family had hired our services with my 32 years of SAR Experience,
we may have brought closure to this case much more quickly. This isn’t
arm chair quarterbacking. It’s the truth. I’m not passing judgement on
the Kim family or the sheriff’s dept and their search teams. Just
stating the facts.
I’ve taught outdoor survival and the Kim family made many huge mistakes
that cost them Mr. Kim’s life.
1). Not sticking to the main roadway. Depending on an electronic GPS
device to show you a shorter way to
your destination doesn’t take away the use of common sense. The family
ignored four posted signs that stated, this road impassible during
winter conditions. When they first spotted snow, that should have been a
clue to turn around immediately.
2). Not being prepared for spending the night in their vehicle in
inclement weather.
All families / persons who drive on a trip should have a min. of 4 days
supplies of water, sleepbags, change of clothing and food for everyone
in the vehicle. In case of disasters, earthquake, floods, fires, bad
weather, snow, ice, etc. This is common sense.
3). Never ever leave the vehicle unless it’s on fire. Had the Kim family
had the sleeping bags, min. equipment to survive, they could have
stretched their food supplies to last a week or two.
4). If the private search efforts are paying $2000.00 per hour for a
helicopter, why not use experienced help? That’s what we’re here for.
They overlooked our professional services which could have guided the
helicopters and ground search teams into the area of highest probability
in a more timely fashion.
The sheriff’ should have used all available resources. He still can
manage his / her search effort when using both state resources and
private search teams.
12-08-06 2006-4215-515(A). Hood River Co. Missing Mt Climbers. Brian
Hall, 37, of Dallas, and Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, 36, of New York. And Kelly
James, 3 missing Climbers on Mt Hood, Ore. We’ve offered our avalanche
k-9 teams and technical ice rescue teams to the sheriff by email. They
refused our trained professional services.
Note: These climbers could have survived if they had built a snow cave,
marked it’s location and stayed in one place for rescue. I’ve led climbs
up Mt Hood and was part of Portland Mountain Rescue from 1986 to 1994.
I’ve led climbs for search and rescue, teams for the US Forest Service
and members of the Mazama’s. I’ve taught winter survival to search and
rescue since 1986. Things to remember.
When you dig a snow cave, you must remember to dig it deep enough for
all persons to lay flat comfortably. The
person(s) inside the snow cave must also mark the location for search
and rescue folks to spot it from the ground or the air. They should have
ensolite or other padding between their bodies and the snow and their
sleeping bags.
When the winds gust to 50 mph, this brings the wind chill factor and
temp down to 35 to 50 degrees below zero. Inside the snow cave, it stays
a constant 34 degrees above zero. So if you stay inside, light a candle,
melt snow, and ration your food, you can survive for weeks inside.
The main concern
at this altitude is HAPE HACE and Hypothermia. High altitude Pulmonary
Edema, High Altitude Cerebral Edema, and Hypothermia can kill quickly.
Usually HACE and HAPE won’t occur unless your at the 10,000 foot level
or above.
Hypothermia can kill you within minutes depending on your location and
clothing attire.
Another concern is suffocation. A build up of carbon dioxide. CO. When
you sleep in a snow cave, it’s vitally important to punch a fresh air
hole with your ice axe or ski pole every two hours. Make sure you are
getting fresh air. We’ve seen climbers die on Mt Rainier from carbon
dioxide poisoning from not doing this.
Search dogs in this environment. I won’t risk our search dogs or teams
until the weather calms down. We can and have
worked in white out conditions. But when a person purposely puts
themselves at risk and climb during the winter time, they must realize
help could be a few days in coming. I’ve snow camped in snow caves in
the Three Sisters Wilderness, on Mt Rainier, Mt Hood and Mt St Helens.
If you are prepared then you’ll survive.
What are the searchers faced with? Lugging up a 60Lbs rescue pack in
these conditions is hard work. The search teams face extreme avalanche
conditions, heavy winds, crevasses, falling ice, rock, snow. Blinding
winds. Extreme cold temperatures. We’re willing and ready to put search
dog teams in the area, but not until the winds calm down to at least 20
MPH. The dogs can air scent the search areas and determine if there
victims in the area. Our prayers are with the victims, their families,
and the searchers at this time. Mr. Oakes
SAR Coordinator. IK9SARS.
01-31-07 2007-4282-040(A). Soiux Falls N.D. In flight Med. Emergency.
(See reports). Did BLS on Passenger w/ Seizures in flight.
02-06-07 2007-4288-047(A). Wash. Co. Missing Person. Mr. D Johnson
Husband Re: the search for his missing wife Beverly Johnson Offered
Services.
03-24-072007-4369-126(A). Missing Person Mult. Co. J May Subject located
alive.
04-09-07 2007-4406-162(A). Clark Co. Missing person. 22 yo Vietnamese
male Khoi VU. Did search. Sent report to FBI Seattle.
04-15-07 2007-4423-179(A). Virg. Tech. Shootings. VA. Contacted PD and
Campus. Offered Pet Grief Therapy Teams.
04-19-07 2007-4426-182(A). Missing Persons Anacortes, Wa. Missing
Rasmussen, Janet 98 Honda Civic Wa.168PIX. Results: Sent client info.
04-20-07 2007-4427-183(A). Homicide Honduras. RP: Bianca Rijo Team: H.
Oakes. Results: Did overhead management.
04-21-07 2007-4406-162(B). Clark Co. Missing person. 22 yo Vietnamese
male Khoi VU. Clark Co. S.O. DLS: Sat. 0200Hrs. Search results turned
over to Clark Co. S.O. and FBI Seattle via email.
05-14-07 2007-4458-214(A). MISSING PERSON: MARK SHIPPY Results: Sent
info.
05-23-07 2007-4476-233(A). Hawaii Bodies being found in construction
sites. The Honorable Linda Lingle Governor, State of Hawaii` Executive
Chambers State Capitol Honolulu, Hawaii Results: Letter sent showing how
cadaver trained SAR Dogs can be used before digging, construction to
save money and time.
05-23-07 2007-4477-234(A). Missing Person. RP: Plainfield Police
Department Deputy Chief Mark Eiting re: Missing Person Lisa Stebic
Results: Sent investigative info via email.
05-27-07 2007-4484-240(A). Cowlitz Co. Missing person. Phil Craig, 47
year old. Results: Sent contract. Drove to scene. Obtained missing
persons profile. Subject called while we were there. He’s ok. In St.
John’s hospital self admitted.
06-01-07 2007-4493-249(A). Mult. Co. Missing Person. RP: Ken Palmer age
44 Results: Sent info. to Fairview PD.
06-02-07 2007-4495-251(A). Mult. Co. Missing Person. RP: Michael Austin
24. Results: Sent info. via email.
06-10-07 2007-4509-265(A). Benton Co. Missing 17 yo. Tommy B. Results:
Canceled enroute. Sub. Located alive in Sac. Ca.
06-15-07 2007-4520-276(A). SAR Dog Resources List. RP: M J R Police
Communications Panama City, Florida. Results: Sent resource info.
06-21-07 2007-4529-283(A). Canton, Ohio Stark Co. S.O. Missing person
Jessie Davis Offered services.
06-21-07 2007-4530-284(A). Mult. Co. PPB Detectives: RE: Search for :
Cheryl Gibbs & David Schwartz. Worked on case.
06-21-07 2007-4529-283(A). Canton, Ohio Stark Co. S.O. Missing person
Jessie Davis. Sent letter to Police Dept.
06-24-07 2007-4537-291(A). Clack. Co. Missing person. RP: Police are
looking for a 53-year-old man last seen at his Lake Oswego home on
Wednesday night. Police said Michael Kennedy, LO 97034. an area
chiropractor, was reported missing on Thursday at 6 p.m. Kennedy's
vehicle, keys, wallet and cell phone have been located. Kennedy is
described as 6 feet tall and 178 pounds with blue eyes and balding gray
hair. He has a gray mustache and was last seen wearing a gray sweat
shirt and an unknown baseball hat. Anyone with information is urged to
contact the Lake Oswego Police Department. Made offer to LOPD to assist.
06-26-07 2007-4541-295(A). Lake Tahoe, Ca. Fire Disaster. Offered
services.
06-26-07 2007-4542-296(A). Clatsop Co. Air Nat. Guard aircraft down.
Offered services to USCG. Cannon Beach, Ore.
08-01-07 2007-4616-371(A). St. Paul Minn. Bridge Collapse. Team: H.
Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. SAR Dog Willow K-9-1A. Results: Sent
contract. And SAR search overhead management letter. Received nice Thank
You letter from the Sheriff.
08-20-07 2007-4651-416(A) Peru Earthquake offer to assist. We didn’t
have the money to send teams.
08-21-07 2007-4653-418(A). Utah Mine Disaster. Jim Paulson Mine owner.
Team; N. Irwin (ST). H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Left
message w/Genwal resources/hunnington UT secretary re: Use of sar dogs
on surface at vent holes to determine wether miners were alive or dead.
09-26-07 2007-4716-481(C). Pierce Co. Drowning. Silver Lake Wa. Silver
Lake at 1200hrs. to assist in continued search. Divers having a hard
time finding victim. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie SAR Dog Willow K-9-1
and K-9-1A. Results: Drove to scene. Did search. Victim 200 feet north
of PCSO Marker. Family advised. Victim recovered four feet from my water
marker per father of victim.
09-27-07 2007-4722-487(A). Cowlitz Co. DAT#4 ARC Apt Fire. Assisted Phil
and teams on five people displaced by fire. Team: H. Oakes.
10-04-07 2007-4734-498(A). Lake Co. Ca. Drowning. RP: Jennifer Z and
Mike (father) Z. Re: Matt Z. Drowned at Clear Lake, Cal Windsor, Ca.
Kelseyville. Did telephone consult. Subject located dead.
10-21-07 2007-4768-532(A). Cowlitz Co. ARC Fire Call Rcvd Call 0843Hrs
From 911 re: Single dwelling fire. Request from Battalion Chief LF ARC
Team DAT Captain H. Oakes and Asst. TL Phyllis Adams House ceiling
electrical fire $5000.00 damage. Smoke damage. One cat one dog rescued
by family.
10-22-07 2007-4771-535(A). S. D. Fires. www.volunteersandiego.org sent
offer to assist. Did overhead management regarding lost and found pets.
11-01-07 2007-4789-553. Missing Person. Oscar Sparrow. Burlington, N.C.
RP: Fabian David Sparrow. Missing brother Oscar Sparrow Age 28 DLS: Sat.
PM Missing Burlington, N.C. Lake MacKintosh. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog
Valorie K-9-1. Results: Flew from Portland, Ore. To Burlington NC. PU at
airport. Did search. Located victim’s route, foot prints. Showed CSI
that victim did not enter the water where his remains were located prior
to my arrival.
01-03-08 2008-4881-001(A).Columbia Co. Missing Person. RP: 77 yo missing
altz pt Sterling Blades DLS Dec. 17-07.93 Blue Dodge pu D-20 Ore.
TBF-558 187000 Block of NW Logie Trail Rd Scappoose, Ore. Blue vest blue
jeans billed cap Church Rd. Wife Beula. Did search.
01-03-08 2008-4883-003(A). Missing person Canada Did consult work.
01-03-08 2008-4884-004(A). Missing person GA Meredith Emerson.
34°44′23″N 83°56′14″W Blood Mtn. Union County SO.
Sheriff Blairsville, Georgia Meredith Emerson, 24, Results: Did consult
work.
01-05-08 2008-4887-007(A). Fernley, Nv. Flood Disaster Washoe County Did
consult work.
01-13-08 2008-4899-019(A). Dauphin Island, Alabama Missing children.
Team; H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. SAR Dog Willow K-9-1A. Results:
Sent offer to help through FAX. Did consult work.
02-02-08 2008-4939-059(A). Reno, Nv Briana Denison Missing 19 yo woman
Did consult work.
02-04-08 2008-4944-064(A). Aruba, Natalie Holloway offer to assist in
water search.
02-11-08 2008-4955-075(A). Portland, Ore. Missing Person. Heidi Anderson
Did search.
02-13-08 2008-4959-079(A). Danielle Anderson Offered to assist.
02-21-08 2008-4955-075(B). Portland, Ore. Missing Person. 37-year-old
woman. Heidi Anderson Results: Drove to Laurelhurst pond. Did search.
Dogs alerted. Body recovered in water 02-24-08.
02-27-08 2008-4987-107(A). Cowlitz Co. ARC DAT D Fire call. 18th ave
Longview, Wa.
03-03-08 2008-4998-118(A). Tulsa OK. Missing Child. RP: Vickey Maroon
Tulsa, OK for Corie Baker age 13, Tulsa Nov. 9, 08. Picked up after
school from sister’s boyfriend, he’s in jail, not talking.
03-07-08 2008-5008-126(A). Col. Co. Missing Person. RP: Gabriel
Triplett, Goble Falls area, where Triplett sometimes went to meditate;
the property surrounding the Tripletts' home in Goble; and Neer City
Cemetery, where Triplett's sister, Lola, is buried. Team on standby.
Orginal search teams failed to find this person. He was found IN THE
ORIGINAL SEARCH area dead by hikers.
03-07-08 2008-5009-127(A). Colorado, two missing persons. RP: L K The
search for two skiers reported missing near Wolf Creek Ski Area resumed
Monday morning. The missing men are in their mid-20s and are believed to
be from New Mexico. At around 8:15 a.m. Monday a helicopter and several
snowmobiles searched for the men with no success. The family of Michael
George and Kyle Kerschen, both 27 have continued the search for these
young men. Weather conditions near Wolf Creek have limited what search
crews have been able to do. At this point the family has realized no
chance of life is left. But still want closure. Mineral County Sheriff's
Office, heavy snow and poor visibility has made it difficult to search
for the men and forced the early suspension of the search Sunday
evening. The car of the missing men, with New Mexico license plates, was
found in the resort parking lot Saturday night. Results: Sent contract.
03-12-08 2008-5018-137(A). Mission BC Canada Missing person. Johnny
Kahler who went missing November 4th, 2007 at Stave Lake in Mission BC.
Sent contract. Client refused to pay for us to come up and search. So no
search was conducted by our professional agency.
03-17-08 2008-5028-147(A). Mult. Co. Missing Person. Wood Village, Ore.,
Donald Palmer
03-24-08 2008-5039-158(A). ARC House Fire. Kelso, Wa. Z B 4th Kelso, Wa.
04-25-08 2008-5091-210(A). Missing Person. Heather Mallory Portland,
Oregon. Offered services.
05-12-08 2008-5131-250(A). China Earthquake. Sichuan province including
the capital Chengdu.
06-04-08 2008-5181-299(A). Clatsop Co. Airplane Crash. RP: Private
person John Wage Rd Seaside, Ore. Wit. Plane crash. Team: H Oakes SAR
Dog Valorie K-9-1. SAR Dog Willow K-9-1A. Results: Drove to scene. Did
search. Returned home. Wrote report on our findings. Sent copy to US
Coast Guard and Clatsop Co. Sheriff’s Dept.
06-04-08 2008-5184-302(A). Wash. DC SAR Stuff. Speaker Invitation to
IDGA'S Joint Search & Rescue Conference 22SEP08-24SEP08 Washington, DC
3rd Annual Joint Search & Rescue Conference The Roadmap to Today’s SAR
Needs, at Home & Abroad.
06-10-08 2008-5193-311(A). Missing Person. RP: eloisa Palisoc" lost
daughter name angel p bernaldo.
06-16-08 2008-5206-325(A). ARC house fire Hawthorne St Kelso, Cowlitz
Co. H. Oakes Responded. Assisted clients.
08-07-08 2008-5354-473(A). Mult Co. RP: Keating. Re: Aunt missing
Demensia. Rcvd call 1218hrs. 07-07-08 Fran went on a walkabout for 3
hours and ended up a few blocks away at Rose Schnitzer old people place.
You can use the same address for Fran and Jane. They said that the
police used their dog to search. They couldn’t find anything. She wound
up in the place next to the large grassy area due west of A. Alpenrose
Dairy area. Results: Canceled while in route. Missing person located at
another care facility having lunch with her ex husband.
08-12-08 2008-5361-480(A). Plano, Tx. RP: Subject: 13 year. old and her
dog missing in plano tx A friend’s 13 yr. old daughter and family dog
have been missing since last night. Girl went our to walk the dog in
front of home at approx. 10:25 (per cell phone info). Never came home.
11 registered sex offenders registered within 1 mile of her home. Police
will not issue an Amber alert b/c she ran away last Nov. But last night
she was barefooted and in her PJ and spoke with a friend to make plans
for Monday ( today). Results: Did telephone consult.
08-13-08 2008-5367-486(A). Missing person Kent, Ohio. Brain injury.
KENT, Ohio. August 13, 2008. Brett Preston was last seen leaving his
home on Hudson Drive in Kent, OH on foot. He was wearing a t-shirt,
shorts and flip-flop shoes. He has no ID, no car, no money, no credit
cards and no cellphone. Preston is brand new to the area and has no
friends or family here. Results: Did telephone consult.
08-14-08 2008-5368-487(A). Medical Assistance Service Dog Regarding
Seizures. Kim Marrow Camano Island, Wa
09-11-08 2008-5427-548(A). Hollywood, Florida Caylee search. Contacted:
Orange County Sheriff's Department Offered services.
10-28-08 2008-5529-638(A). Sherwood, Ore. Missing 15 yo. Received call
from Annette Tillberg (Sister in law). Regarding child missing Santiago
Trejo Sherwood, Ore. Did email and telephone consult.
11-16-08 2008-5579-689(A). Earthquake Indonesia. 7.5 Results: Sent offer
to help.
11-20-08 2008-5584-694(A). Wash. Co. Aloha, Ore. Missing woman. Holly
Hinman. Results:
Woman returned alive on her
own).
11-22-08 2008-55-89-699(A). Col. Co. Suiside, drowning. C&E Thurston DLS
Last wed SS Beach Sauvies Island Aaron Fernando Thurston Age 31 Veh.
2003 Mitsu bi. Burgundy. Results: Did telephone consult.
01-12-09 5661-021(A). From: chicana_QT missing grandfather. Los Angeles,
CA My grandfather has been missing since jan 8, 2009, We have filed a
police report, and posted some flyers. But we have not heard a thing. He
has dementia, heart issues, and was talking that he was going to mexico.
If he did go , no family m emeber in mexico have heard from him. He have
checked bus, train stations and airports, but nothing. He carries his
passport with him, but no tickets have been bought under his name. We
need your help, but don't have much money. Please help my family? I am
attaching his missing flyer.
02-01-09 5702-062(A). Missing child, PORTLAND, Ore. 12-year old D S C
02-06-09 5711-071(A). Clark Co. Missing person. J D R age 33,
03-02-09 2009-5737-097(C). Missing person Hebo, Ore. Z Brown Results:
Drove down. 0845Hrs. Arrived 1135hrs. Met w/ family. Obtained missing
persons profile. Obtained scent articles. Shoes. Photographed veh. Room,
search areas. Conducted searches. Debriefed family. Zach’s death scent
in Nestucca River.
03-03-09 5755-115(A). Cowlitz Co. Missing Person F McCoy. Results: Met
w/ Relatives. Obtained contract, Obtained scent article. Did search.
03-10-09. Subject floated up in Lake Sacajewea right where SAR Dog’s
Willow and Tyler tracked him to.
03-15-09 Re: 02-20-09 5737-097(C). Missing person Hebo, Ore. Zach Brown
Results: Did research of boat ramp at Cloverdale and Hebo. Both dogs did
exact same death alerts at down stream from Hebo boat ramp down to
Cloverdale. Victim surfaced where my search dogs indicated he was.
04-07-09 5808-168(A). Earthquake, Italy. Teams offered assistance.
04-07-09 5809-169(A). Missing child Spokane, Wa. Did consult.
04-10-09 5814-174(A). Suicide Portland, Oregon J G F Did search. Located
death site. Family advised.
04-10-09 5816-176(A). Clark Co. Missing 17 yo. (Cold case homicide).
Jamie Grishim.
04-13-09 5814-174(B). Portland, Oregon. Missing persons case Juan Garcia
Francisco Did a second search with ST Laurie McQuary. Located death site
at same location. Family advised. Mon, 7/13/09, MIKKI PATE
<mikkip2@hotmail.com> wrote: From: MIKKI PATE mikkip2@hotmail.com
Subject: HI harry just wanted you to know Juans body was found To:
"harry98632@yahoo.com" harry98632@yahoo.com Date: Monday, July 13, 2009,
5:37 PM HI harry just wanted you to know Juans body was found washed up
right were the dogs were, Francisco is headed up there to pick up his
ashes. again thank you for all your extra help you did for us.Mikki Pate
04-24-09 5833-193(A). Cowlitz Co. Filming for KPTV Ch# 12. Kim Singer.
Spent from 1100Hrs. to 1600hrs. W/ Kim Singer and camera man. Did
filming.
05-05-09 re: 04-10-09 5816-176(B). Clark Co. Missing 17 yo. (Cold case
homicide). Jamie Grishim. Drove to E. Clark Co. Did search. Located one
grave possible site. Clark Co. S.O. advised.
05-06-09 5846-206(A) Missing child MO. Joshua Childers The blond
toddler, about 3 feet tall and weighing 35 pounds, was wearing a dark
blue shirt and a pull-up diaper when he left his house through the back
door around 11:30 a.m. His parents searched for about 45 minutes before
calling authorities.Madison County Sheriff . Results; Did consulting on
this case with family members. Child found alive.
05-08-09 5850-210(A). Patagonia, Argentina SAR Dog Training.
06-15-09 5816-176(C). Clark Co. Missing 17 yo. (Cold case homicide).
Jamie Grishim. RP: Starr Grishim. Results: Drove to E. Clark Co. Did
research. Relocated one possible site.
06-23-09 06-12-09 5928-288(B). Missing persons (Tennesse). Lisa Maxwell
Morristown, Tn.
Did consult work on this case.
06-29-09 re: 06-23-09 06-12-09 5928-288(B). Missing persons (Tennesse).
Sent team in from Ky.
07-02-09 Re: 06-28-09 5963-323(B). Missing child. Gray’s Harbor Co. Wa.
Lindsey Baum McCleary, Wa. Age 10. Sent my search report to FBI and
McCleary City PD.
07-09-09 5978-338(A). Missing person Missouri. RP: Kim Reed Simpson
County, Mississippi. AUNT IS MISSING. Did consult work.
07-19-09 6001-361(B). Hood River, Ore. Missing person. Hood River, Ore.
49 yo wfa, 5’ 06” 127lbs. Hair gray short 1” no eye glasses, or
contacts. Cancer Survivor. Size shoes 8, grey shorts, blue tank top.
Last seen 0900hrs. Going for a walk. Results: 0200hrs. Drove to HR. Did
search. Found her alive in 2 minutes. She was located in unattached
storage shed/garage. Family advised to transport her to hospital.
07-22-09 6009-369(A) Missing climber Mt Fuji, Japan. D Yu re his brother
Jerry Yu is missing since Sunday (7/19), he went up hiking to Mount Fuji
in Japan with a couple of his colleagues.
Helped consult on this case. Subject found dead.
07-24-09 5963-323(E). Missing child. Gray’s Harbor Co. Wa. Lindsey Baum
McCleary, Wa. Age 10. Items found turned over to police.
08-11-09 6048-408(A). Legal question Attorney on proper procedure on
catching a cat safely.
08-21-09 6056-416(A). Corvallis, Ore. Missing person. Did consult case.
08-23-09 6056-416(B). Linn Co. Corvallis, Ore. Wynoochee Dr. Corvallis,
Or Cleared area.
08-31-09 5963-323(F). Missing child. Gray’s Harbor Co. Wa. Lindsey Baum
McCleary, Wa. Age 10. See reports for findings. Evidence turned over to
Police.
09-11-09 2009-5816-176(G). BG Wa. Missing person. Jamie Grisham (Missing
person) DLS: Dec. 07, 1971. SAR Dogs alerted in one specific area
repeatedly. CCSO advised.
09-12-09 2009-6085-445(A). Missing person. Yale university. Annie Li Did
consult.
09-19-09 2009-6097-457(A). Missing person Costa Rica. David Gimelfarb
Did consult.
09-21-09 2009-6100-460(A). Missing Moose Hunter Montreal, Canada. Did
consult.
09-24-09 2009-6105-465(A). Missing person Sitka Ak. Did consult.
10-07-09 2009-6129-489(A). Lost person Polk Co. Ore. Did consult.
10-09-09 2009-6129-489(C). Lost person Polk Co. Ore. Missing person
Dustin Gibson age 67 1015hrs. Started search. Lee and Wiley witnessed
both dogs alerting Cougar Creek drainage. 1130hrs. Lee’s team located
victim doa. Right where our search dogs said he was.
10-12-09 6133-493(B). Fed. Way PD Case# 09-12607. Fed. Wa. Wa. Missing
person. J David H Worked case.
10-26-09 2009-6150-511(A). Attorney consult. Re Stolen dogs Gaston, Ore.
10-31-09 2009-6160-520(A). Missing person Montana. Her brother has been
missing since Wed. Oct 28th. Did consult.
11-14-09 2009-6180-540(A). Boston, MASS Missing person. 22 year old. l G
Latovkin search.
Did consult.
11-16-09 2009-6182-542(A). Missing Person Wash. Co. Kenneth M. Thies Jr.
Lee Falls Rd Cherry Grove, Ore. Did consult for family.
View our web site www.k9sardog.com for more documented searches.
Note: Many of the police depts in Ore. and Washington don't like us
because we come in to the search privately on behalf of the family and
find the victim or what happened to the victim when the police and their
certified K-9 SAR teams failed to find anything.
When a police dept calls us in, we work for them, and won’t talk to
anyone regarding their case and our findings.
When they refuse our offers to assist and the victim(s) family calls in,
we then work for the family. If this embarrasses the law enforcement
community, it’s not our fault. We’re just doing the job we’ve been hired
to do.
Other stories about Harry and his search dogs.
Claudia Kirchoch search in Jamaica.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20000817/News/News4.html
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20000817/News/News5.html
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20000823/News/News4.html
Turkey
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/features/turkey/gallery9.html
http://www.sarinfo.bc.ca/Library/Rescues/Willamette.OR.txt
Honduras
http://www.honduras.com/weather/index11a.htm
Dog Obedience
http://www.columbusdogconnection.com/DogWhsiperer.htm
Oregon City 2002 Ward Weaver Murder cases of Ashley Pond/ Miranda Gaddis
http://www.soldiersandkids.com/childmurders.htm
http://www.webbsleuths.org/dcforum/DCForumID5/99.html
Dog Rescue efforts
http://p076.ezboard.com/fmissing87975frm1.showMessage?topicID=771.topic
Cat searches
http://www.catchannel.com/cat/cfcc_portal.aspx
Other info re: Dogs
http://www.k9sardog.com/aadnw.html
Jackie (A child kidnap murder case)
http://www.puregolden.com/sarc.htm
Search dog Yogi
http://www.puregolden.com/sarc.htm
SAR Dog Links
http://fomlo.homestead.com/Links_Page.html
Animal Rescue
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Missing Ore. City girls: Was the FBI too slow?Transcript from Dateline
NBC 08:44 PM PST on Friday, January 27, 2006 By Keith Morrison, NBC News
Correspondent
VIDEO:
Excerpts: Dateline NBC examines Ward Weaver case
OREGON CITY -- It was evening, dark and cold, in this suburb of
Portland, when the call came in to a 911 dispatcher. A mother was
reporting a missing daughter. During her 911 call, the immediate
assumption was that 12 year old must be a runaway. So began the long
strange tale of what happened to Ashley Pond. It began not with a bang,
but a whimper, as it dawned on a young mother what terrors could lie
ahead.
Lori Pond’s daughter, Ashley, had simply vanished— gone, or so it seemed
on her way to school in the town of Oregon City in January 2002.
Linda O’Neal, relative: It was very upsetting. A 12-year-old child had
disappeared, you know? This is a child! Linda O’Neal is a member of
Ashley’s extended family; Linda’s husband was once married to Ashley’s
grandmother. Not exactly a close relationship... but Linda certainly
knew about Ashley.
Keith Morrison, Dateline correspondent: How would you describe her as a
little girl? Linda O’Neal: Well, she was kind of known as having an
attitude…
But Linda was not just family; she was also a licensed private
investigator. And, in those first days, her experience told her Ashley
was probably okay.
O’Neal: My first thought would have been that she probably ran away.
Police in Oregon City apparently agreed. But then a whole week went by,
no sign of Ashley anywhere. Runaways inevitably contact someone, but she
didn’t. And now local officials, thinking “abduction,” called in the
FBI.
Jim Redden, crime reporter for Portland Tribune: One of the problems
with the case is that there was a wealth of suspects.
Jim Redden is a veteran crime reporter for the Portland Tribune. Ashley,
he soon learned, had disappeared from an apartment complex that was a
"mulligan stew" of troubled souls.
Redden: It had a lot of welfare cases. It had a number of mentally ill
people that would be placed there by the county. There were a lot of
single mothers who attracted a lot of really bad boyfriends.
In fact police searching for suspects found no fewer than 90 sex
offenders living within a mile of the complex. One possible suspect was
Ashley’s own biological father. He’d been convicted of sexually abusing
her during one of her visits.
Had he taken her? And if not him, who?
As weeks passed, a terrible realization began to set in around town.
Ashley’s little group of best friends knew it, and everybody seemed to
sense it— something awful had happened to Ashley.
A friend of Ashley’s, Miranda Gaddis, was interviewed by a TV reporter,
not knowing that fate had its eye on her too.
Miranda Gaddis (in TV interview prior to her death): It’s really hard to
believe that happened to one of your friends or something. It’s just
really different and really sad.
In the weeks that followed, the task force would chase hundreds of
leads.They would, according to newspaper reports, watch Ashley’s mother,
and her mom’s boyfriend. Investigators even began tailing a couple of
male neighbors from the apartments. No one, it seemed, knew anything. It
was as if Ashley Pond had disappeared into thin air.
And then, two months after Ashley disappeared, the girl interviewed by a
reporter, Ashley Pond’s friend Miranda unbelievably, turned up missing
too. Two girls vanished from the same apartment complex. They went to
the same school, and were even on the same dance team! Both vanished,
within 8 weeks of one another.
O’Neal: When the second girl disappeared, it caused panic, absolute
panic. They were afraid that there was a serial killer among them.
AP photo
Ward Weaver is escorted into a courtroom by deputies following his
arrest.
MEETING WARD WEAVER
In this suburb of Portland, everyone could feel the chill. The
disappearance of 13-year-old Miranda Gaddis was a sickening reminder of
the way 12-year-old Ashley Pond vanished 2 months before. Now, the FBI
ramped up its investigation, and called in scores of agents.
Soon more than 60 of them were working on the case. A true task force
was assigned to find the answers about Ashley and Miranda.
Private investigator Linda O’Neal began to turn down other work to work
on this case full time. It was a little crazy, maybe, given the size of
the official investigation, but Linda felt a real family connection with
Ashley. This was personal.
Keith Morrison, Dateline correspondent: What made you think that you
could help solve this crime? Linda O’Neal: Well, the FBI would say “We
have no suspects, we have no crime scene, and we have no clues,” so it
appeared that they needed a little help.
But where to start? Suspects were no problem, narrowing it down was.
Some on the list: A former neighbor on the wrong end of a restraining
order taken out by an ex-girlfriend, Miranda’s father once convicted of
abusing two minor girls. And that was just for starters. So Linda
decided to start with a name she’d heard from Ashley’s aunt.
O’Neal: I asked, “Who are the people in Ashley’s life?” And she told me
about Ward Weaver.
Ward Weaver as a neighbor, and a family friend, whose home was right
next to the apartment complex in which Ashley and her mother lived. In
fact, Weaver had been interviewed on television too…
Ward Weaver (during TV interview prior to his arrest): That little girl
took off, I wholeheartedly believe that.
Weaver did have a criminal record for assault, but it had been 16 years
before. Now, he seemed like a hard-working single father raising a
daughter Ashley’s age. And police had already checked out his alibi and
sent several teams of officers and dogs to search his house and
property. They found nothing. And after all, there were so many
suspects.
Morrison: Why would Ward Weaver stand out in that group? O’Neal: Because
Ashley had complained that he had sexually molested her.
And yet, as Linda learned, those allegations had apparently been
investigated. And no charges had been filed.
But she decided to run a computer check on Weaver and she was stunned!
O’Neal: I get this information Ward Weaver is on death row! Morrison:
Death row? But you’ve got ward weaver in your town!? O’Neal: This fellow
on death row for serial murder was Ward Weaver’s father!
Strange, but true: Weaver’s father had been on California's death row
for two decades. But surely just having a father who was a killer wasn’t
reason enough to suspect the son?
Was it?
Then, just about the time Linda was contemplating that question, a
second private investigator offered to help: Harry Oakes. Oakes was a
bit of a maverick who runs a for profit search and rescue center. And
this is his partner was a 12-year-old pound rescued mutt named Valerie.
Many police departments don’t like him, says Oakes, and don’t use him.
But in this case he waived his fee, did some background work, showed the
dog some of Ashley’s clothing, and went to work.
Harry Oakes, private search dog handler: The track led from the
apartment complex up the road, the staircase, to Ward’s property.
That name again. Harry, with his Valerie now excited and on the chase,
knocked at Weaver’s door and asked for permission to search the house.
Harry Oakes: He said, “I don’t have any problem with you searching,
they’ve already brought in 7 different search dog teams. I have nothing
to hide.” During the search of the house she gave me a death alert of
Ashley’s scent in Ward’s hallway.
Morrison: Did Valerie alert anywhere else? Oakes: Yes. When we went
outside to the back area, there was a slab that had been poured.
Morrison: A concrete slab?
Oakes: A concrete slab. And where the slab met with the grass, the dirt
where they came together, my dog was smelling Ashley’s scent coming out
of there.
Morrison: Did you call 911?
Oakes: I made a report and turned it into Oregon City police department.
A record of Harry’s report shows it was indeed turned in to police on
March 20th, less than two weeks after Miranda disappeared.
Morrison: Was there any reaction from the police?
Oakes: They basically ignored us.
Morrison: What about the FBI?
Oakes: Ignored us.
But not long after, Harry’s report found its way to the desk of private
eye Linda O’Neal.
Morrison: What did his report say to you as an investigator?
O’Neal: It said “red flag.” His dog had alerted a death alert over a
freshly poured concrete slab in our Ward Weaver’s backyard.
And something about that slab resonated with Linda: Remember, when she
was digging into the background of Ward Weaver’s father, the serial
killer on death row? She found out what he had done with one of his
victims.
O’Neal: He buried her in the middle of his backyard. And then covered it
with concrete.
Morrison: A concrete slab?
O’Neal: Yes.
And Linda’s suspicions were about to grow. Over the next few weeks,
teachers, dance coaches, and even Weaver’s ex-wives would tell her
stories of disturbing and inappropriate behavior. There was the teacher
who saw Weaver drop off Ashley at school, and here was a man in his late
30s locked in a passionate kiss with 12-year-old Ashley. There was the
family friend who said Ashley spent weeks at a time at Weaver’s house,
often sleeping in his bed, with him. There was the girlfriend who said
that Weaver was angry with Miranda because she had been telling girls in
the neighborhood to “Stay away from Weaver’s house, he might molest
you.” By June, Ashley now gone six months, and Miranda, three months.
The story had hit the cover of People Magazine. But it seemed to
reporters that the FBI wasn’t anywhere close to closing the case.
Jim Redden, reporter for Portland Tribune: It was very much [like], “We
have a range of suspects, maybe six to eight different men. The entire
impression I got was that they had not in fact, focused on any
particular individual.”
The reporter didn’t know it, but he was about to play a key role in the
case.
And Linda O’Neal says she was about to get the scare of her life,
returning home one day to see her son working on his car with a
stranger.
O’Neal: I came face to face with Ward Weaver.
Morrison: And he’s with your son?
O’Neal: He’s with my son.
Morrison: What did he say to you?
O’Neal: He said, “Kids are so naive aren’t they?” And I said, “Mr.
Weaver, I don’t think that my family is any of your business.” And he
said, “Ms. O’Neal, that’s what I came here to tell you.”
O’Neal: I dug out my gun and loaded it, and put it in my purse.
Morrison: Did you really think he might be capable of coming after you
or your family?
O’Neal: I had thought he was capable of anything.
CALLING THE FBI TO NO AVAIL
AP photo
FBI agents stand by as search dogs are brought onto the property of Ward
Weaver in Oregon City as investigators searched the one-acre lot
Saturday, Aug. 24, 2002.
By June 2002, Ashley Pond had been missing for six months and Miranda
Gaddis, for three.
All of Oregon City seemed to be clinging to faint hope: their dance
team, their mothers, the whole community.
Lori Pond: We can’t wrap our arms around them. Whoever did this took
that away from us and hopefully they’re going to give our babies back so
we can do that again.
FBI canines were dispatched once again to sniff around the apartment
complex where the girls lived. Even Weaver’s house, but apparently found
nothing. An FBI spokesman continued to insist the agency had “no
suspects,” and “virtually no clues.”
But this private eye disagreed.
Keith Morrison, Dateline correspondent: You must’ve been going nuts!
Linda O’Neal, private eye: I couldn’t think of anything else.
Remember, Linda O’Neal, was part of Ashley’s extended family, and had
been working the case for months. And she believed the FBI should by now
have focused on Ward Weaver, a 39-year-old single father who lived in a
house near the apartments.
O’Neal: I was getting very upset and nervous about what was going to
happen next. Who was going to be next?
Linda thought it was time to take what she knew to the FBI.
Morrison: Did the FBI understand that you were a recognized private
investigator who was calling them?
O’Neal: Yes.
Morrison: What did he say to you?
O’Neal: He said, “We really don’t need help from private investigators,
you know. We’re the FBI and we really don’t think that Ward Weaver is a
suspect.” Morrison: How did you feel when you got off the phone?
O’Neal: Devastated!
Still whatever happened on that call got Linda so mad, so angry, and so
hurt, that she got in touch with Portland Tribute reporter Jim Redden.
Jim Redden, Portland Tribute reporter: She thought that she had
legitimate information that they should be interested in, and they
weren’t responding the way she thought they should. She said, “Have you
ever heard of Ward Weaver”? And at that point, I had not heard of Ward
Weaver.
The private eye and the reporter came up with a plan: A surprise
interview of Weaver. So the reporter got up early one Sunday morning and
drove to Weaver’s house, knocked on the door and wonder of wonders, Ward
Weaver invited him in for an interview that would lift law enforcement’s
“shroud of secrecy” on the case, and put one suspect in the spotlight
for the very first time.
Morrison: Did he seem to you at all like a potentially sociopathic
killer?
Redden: He really seemed like a very normal kind of guy. The more he
talked, the more nervous he got and that’s when he said, “I’m the FBI’s
prime suspect.” Morrison: What was your feeling as you sat there next to
the man?
Redden: Well, he was coming across to me as sort of honest and candid…
The reporter’s gut feeling put Linda back on her heels.
O’Neal: Jim Redden said to me, "You know, he seems like an okay guy."
Morrison: Maybe you were the crazy one!
O’Neal: It sort of was looking that way!
But the reporter wrote the article, putting Ward Weaver’s name in print
for the first time. Weaver was now the center of attention, and he
seemed to be enjoying it. He even appeared on national television,
saying “She’s better off hiding out wherever she’s found a place to
live.”
And just days later, what did the local police and the FBI and local
police do? They launched a huge raid, executing a search warrant, towing
away vehicles that might contain suspicious materials, and informing the
target of all this attention that he’d failed a polygraph test.
The surprise? Well, the surprise was in the man’s name: It was not Ward
Weaver.
It was another prime suspect, a neighbor of the girls, who denied any
role in the murders, said he’d been interviewed five or six times. He
was questioned about a camping trip he took the day Miranda disappeared.
And his friends had been warned to stay away from him.
What no one knew is that the big break was about to occur. And it would
come, not from the FBI task force, or local police. But from a woman, a
teenager at the time, who’s never before spoken about what happened to
her— or how she somehow found the strength to survive.
AP photo
Flowers and a sign hang on a fence surrounding the house of Ward Weaver
on Aug. 25, 2002 in Oregon City.
A LEAD FROM A VICTIM
By August, seven months had passed since Ashley Pond disappeared; more
than 4 months since Miranda Gaddis vanished. Still, Oregon City police
and the FBI appeared to the public to be no closer to an arrest, even
though neighbor Ward Weaver had told whoever would listen that he was
the prime suspect.
And though Ashley’s step-grandmother Linda O’Neal firmly believed there
was enough probable cause to search his property for the two bodies,
police did not appear to her to be interested. No search warrant was
asked for or issued.
By early August, Linda learned Weaver had apparently had enough media
attention.
Linda O’Neal, step-grandmother and private eye: He told people he was
going to Mexico or Idaho. He had emptied his entire house of all of his
possessions..
But with his house empty, and apparently ready to move out of Oregon,
Ward Weaver made a move that still mystifies everyone involved.
Randi Oneida, girlfriend of Ward Weaver’s son: He was a nice person to
be around. He fooled people I guess.
Oneida is the girlfriend of Ward Weaver’s son, the mother of Ward’s
grandchild. Never before has she revealed publicly what happened that
day in August 2002 when at the age of 19, she got in a car with Weaver,
a man she assumed she could trust.
Oneida: All the way to his house, he wasn’t acting different or
anything.
Keith Morrison, Dateline correspondent: And then you walked in the
house, and.
Oneida: That’s when he snapped. That’s when I noticed a different face.
He threw her to the floor, tore off her clothing, and raped her. She
couldn’t talk about the worst of it, she said. Her body seemed to
stiffen at the memory.
Morrison: Do you remember the look in his eye?
Oneida: He was possessed. It wasn’t him. It looked like satan inside of
him, but the second he stood up off of me, his face went back to normal.
Morrison: And then you ran?
Oneida: Yeah, I pushed him with my feet, pushed him back, and I ran.
On the way out, she grabbed a tarp covering the concrete slab in Ward’s
backyard. And then she ran naked and trembling after a savage sexual
assault— into the street, where she flagged down a passing car. And
within hours, Ward Weaver was arrested, booked, and behind bars, charged
with rape.
Portland Tribune reporter Jim Redden: That was the moment that I really
thought, "This is the guy."
Linda O’Neal says she’d known it for months. She had known in her gut
that Weaver was a violent man, who’d killed Ashley and Miranda. And they
had him in custody now, for a violent rape, so she felt sure the FBI
would move quickly to charge him in the disappearance of Ashley and
Miranda.
Morrison: Once he was in custody was a search warrant issued for his
property? O’Neal: There was a search conducted that had everything to do
with the rape, with the crime that occurred that day, but then they took
down the yellow crime tape and they left.
And without crime scene tape or a steady police presence, Weaver’s house
became a kind of open house. After weeks of people seeing Weaver’s name
in the papers, or seeing him on the news, sitting near that freshly
poured concrete slab, and hearing of his arrest for rape, many of the
locals had come to the same conclusion as Linda: What was the FBI
waiting for?
In mid-August, in the days after Ward was arrested for raping his son’s
girlfriend, protestors gathered at the property. They left their
accusing signs lying around the unexamined back yard...
Morrison: How long was it between the time Ward Weaver was arrested, and
the time somebody got a search warrant to look into his property?
O’Neal: Well, he was arrested August 13, and it was August 23 when they
got the search warrant.
Then, with crowds gathering again as if they knew what was to come, the
FBI showed up in force, erecting two white tents, bringing in dozens of
agents and tons of equipment.
Hours later, there was the first discovery: a box, in a shed behind the
house, with remains. The Oregon state medical examiner positively
identified the remains of the discovered body of Miranda Gaddis.
The following day, there was another vigil and another discovery.
Investigators finally dug up that concrete slab. It was the very spot at
which that search dog had issued a “death alert” five months before.
And there beneath it, they found another body — Ashley Pond’s.
O’Neal: It was very sad news because I think you always hope, until
there’s a body, you always have hope. And even though I always believed
the bodies were there, the reality of it was difficult. These two
beautiful young girls were gone forever.
During all those days, weeks, months, of anxiety and hope… the long
investigation, the scores of officers, the bodies of the two little
girls were right here all along in Ward Weaver’s backyard.
And Weaver himself? At first, claimed he had not a thing to do with it.
But in the end, Ward Weaver, without explaining how or why, simply
pleaded guilty and was sentenced to remain in prison for the rest of his
life.
At his sentencing, the judge said: “I think everyone probably shares in
the hope that there is a special place in hell for people like you.”
How could Ward Weaver have gotten away with it for so long? And how
could the FBI have seemed so, well, off? Especially when others seemed
to have figured it all so neatly? There was sadness, yes, for the loss
of those two girls— but also now, anger.
Redden: Our headline was “Why did it take so long?” And that was the
question that we were trying to get answered. We still don’t know.
Although there’s no evidence that a faster investigation might have
saved Ashley or Miranda—the question remained, what about Randi? The
young woman whose presence of mind and physical strength in the face of
rape— and maybe something worse— saved her own life?
Morrison: You know better than anybody else on earth what Ashley and
Miranda went through.
Randi Oneida, Ward Weaver's victim: Uh-huh.
Morrison: If you hadn’t had the abilities you had, what would’ve
happened to you?
Oneida: I would be exactly where Ashley and Miranda are.
Morrison: Are you angry?
Randi: Yeah, I’m very angry.
Morrison: What does that anger feel like?
Oneida: It’s anger, frustration that this happened to me. It could have
been stopped, I really believe that it could have been stopped.
Morrison: Who could have prevented it?
Oneida: I think the FBI, the Oregon city police.
O’Neal: If they were watching Ward Weaver, how did he move all of his
possessions out of his house, give notice, and rape, and almost kill one
more girl?
How indeed? We wondered how the police and FBI would respond to
allegations that they had taken too long or bungled their investigation.
What could they say to this young woman?
FBI: 'A SUCCESSFUL INVESTIGATION
AP photo
The FBI's Special Agent in Charge, Charles Mathews, left, and Oregon
City Police Chief, Gordon Huiras, as they announce the discovery of the
bodies of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis.
After all the waiting, the investigating, the discovery of the bodies of
Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis, and the arrest and conviction of their
killer, Ward Weaver— that’s when the questions really began. It was a
question splashed in a banner headline: Why exactly had it taken so
long?
And now, for the first time, police and the FBI agreed to answer their
Portland critics. Were they in some away ashamed of their investigation?
Well, as a matter of fact, absolutely not.
Robert Jordan, FBI special agent in charge: This was a very, very
successful investigation. Robert Jordan is special agent in charge of
the FBI’s office in Portland. He came to Oregon city after murders were
solved. The FBI, with the Oregon city police department, were the two
agencies that made up the task force on this case, and they bristle at
suggestions that they didn’t move as quickly as they should have.
Gordon Huiras, chief of Oregon City police department: The investigators
involved were driven to solve that case. They put their heart and soul
in that case. They would have arrested someone just as soon as they had
probable cause to make an arrest in that case.
Keith Morrison, Dateline Correspondent: There are those who believe
though that probable cause existed long before the rape of Randi Oneida.
Jordan, FBI special agent in charge: People who were not associated with
the investigation. People, like Linda O’Neal. She’s now co-written a
book detailing her investigation, called ‘Missing: the Oregon City
Girls.” Remember, it was Linda who said she called the FBI in June 2002,
two months before Weaver’s arrest to outline what she said was solid
circumstantial evidence that Weaver was the killer, and that the girls’
bodies were buried on his property. Information, it turns out, that was
true. Linda says the FBI agent she spoke to wasn’t interested in her
opinion. And reporter Jim Redden confirms Linda told him the same story.
But the head of Portland’s office now says no record of such a call
exists.
Jordan, FBI special agent in charge: The first and only documented
contact our investigators had with the author was in March 27 and she
said she had a tip she wanted to pass on. The tip was a psychic tip and
that is the only documented contact this investigation had with the
author.
No documents. But, we wondered, could an agent have spoken to Linda,
heard her allegations about Ward Weaver, without keeping a full record
of the call?
Jordan, FBI special agent in charge: Absolutely. We had over 4,000 tips
that came into us. But we had many people who wanted to tell us Ward
Weaver did it, but all those people were interviewed, and none of those
interviews provided us with a witness or something we could put in an
affidavit for probable cause to arrest Mr. Weaver, or search his
property.
The FBI says Weaver was always among the top three suspects, especially
after flunking a polygraph.
Jordan, FBI special agent in charge: Our polygrapher followed him out to
his car, literally haranguing him, trying to get him to confess. He
wouldn’t. This is the United States of America. We don’t have any
physical ways to make somebody confess.
And so, the investigation continued, say police, until Weaver was
arrested for raping Randi Oneida. And Weaver’s own sons came forward
with incriminating information that allowed prosecutors and the task
force to agree that finally, 10 days after the arrest, that they now had
“probable cause” to search his property.
Jordan, FBI special agent in charge: We were working an investigation,
to try to a) find the girls, and if we couldn’t find them safe and
alive, b) find out who did it. We did that. That’s a successful
investigation.
Morrison: Is that what you’d say to Randi Oneida?
Jordan, FBI special agent in charge: No, I don’t think I’d say that to
Randi Oneida.
Morrison: What would you say to her?
Jordan, FBI special agent in charge: She was at risk, no question about
it. She was at risk from Ward Weaver.
As for Linda and her book, the task force has come out swinging. The FBI
says the book is not credible, and points to an author’s note that tells
of “reconstructed conversations,” “composites of characters” and the
fact that some “names have been changed.”
Jordan, FBI special agent in charge: The book is fictionalized, in some
manner. So what’s fiction, what’s real, it’s hard to say.
Linda O’Neal, private investigator, author: Well, I was offended.
Linda says she made it quite clear that while some names and narrative
details were altered.. her story is a true telling of events from her
own perspective.
Morrison: Do they have some point? That it’s easy for you to say, “We
could have moved quicker, but you weren’t part of the investigation, so
how would you know what went on?”
O’Neal: I wasn’t part of their investigation. I was on my own,
conducting my own investigation. And all I know is what I did and what I
found out.
Should Ward Weaver have been stopped sooner than he was? The question,
for Randi Oneida, is altogether too personal.
Morrison: What has he done to you?
Randi Oneida, Ward Weaver's victim: He’s ruined me. I really believe
that they could have stopped him before he had gone as far as he did.
And around Oregon City, Oregon, the strange disconnect lingers:
Bitterness among some who believe it took too long to solve the murder
of two little girls; and among police, satisfaction for a job well done.
Editor's note: NBC News contacted Ashley Pond’s mother for comment. She
said that she will be forever grateful to the FBI and all the police
agencies who worked on the case, and that any criticism of their efforts
is unfair.
Unsolved2@aol.com View Contact Details Add Mobile Alert
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 10:47:18 EST
Subject: Re: For those who missed DATELINE TV SHOW LAST NIGHT.
To: searchdog@iinet.com
Hi Harry! Yes, Cynthia was here from Seattle, and we watched the show!
Great job with you and Valorie doing superb work, once again! The FBI
and OC Police looked like Keystone Kops running in every direction but
the right one!
You were lookin' good! Thanks for letting us know it was on.
Love u, Susan & the gang”.
This 77 page of facts has been provided to show you both sides of the
issues. Now you can make an informed decision on Harry’s credibility.
Based on FACTS NOT RUMORS.
Our mission in life continues to help others in their time of need, “So
others may live”.
Respectfully
Mr. Oakes
Office of Emergency Management
International K-9 Search and Rescue Services.
I.K.9.S.A.R.S. Harry’s Yahoo 360 blog re SAR.
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-aczg0BU5erSlJvtwUKlYqssO
Photos of Harry’s search dog teams in action.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/searchdog/page1/
Before your child comes up missing, identify them. If a child is
missing, send us the information. We search for missing children and
adults.
Write us at searchdog@iinet.com and we’ll send your our free child id
kit.
If you know of anyone who is missing a human or pet family member please
feel free to pass on our web site to them. Thank You.
www.Ifsao.org view our work in Honduras
http://pnwbcrescue.blogspot.com/
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