 USFS road sign, pictured in 2017 | |
| Date | July 11, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Location | Snohomish County, Washington, United States |
| Type | homicide |
| Cause | firearm |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Coroner | Norman J. Thiersch |
The Pinnacle Lake murders were the murder of Mary Cooper and Susanna Stodden in the late morning of Tuesday, July 11, 2006 in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The unsolved crime, which occurred "deep in the woods" near a body of water named Pinnacle Lake, was the subject of reporting by the Washington Post, USA Today, People Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and other media. Compared to homicides about which she had written, true crime author Ann Rule described the murders - which appeared to have no motive - as "very strange".[1] The killings were compared to murders that occurred in Oregon the previous year and which authorities attributed to a possible "superhunter" who had become active in the region.
Location edit
The Pacific Northwest has been referred to by former FBI profiler John Douglas as "America's killing field" due to the high concentration of serial killers operating in the region. According to one analysis, Washington has the fifth highest number of per capita serial murders in the United States.[2] Steven Egger, a professor of criminology at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, has attributed the density of remote, wilderness areas and their utility in the confidential disposal of human remains as a factor in the region's draw to serial killers.[3] During the time period 1997 to 2013, Oregon registered 240 unsolved cases of persons who had gone missing in wilderness areas.[4]
Pinnacle Lake is located on the eastern slope of Mount Pilchuck in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.[5] It is approximately forty miles driving distance from Everett, Washington at the terminus of an approximately two mile, "rocky, rough" hiking trail which switchbacks up "ladders of roots and rocks".[5][6] The trailhead itself is accessed by a "winding, six-mile drive that takes half an hour on a one-lane, unpaved, pot-holed forest road".[5] The nearest incorporated city is Granite Falls, Washington.[5]
At the time of the murders, there was no cellular telephone service in the area.[5] The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office operated a radio relay station in Silverton, Washington for emergency communications.[5]
Some residents of the area, interviewed after the murders, reported that life in the rural area was not "serene" and recounted, what they characterized to be, frequent cases of suicides and car crashes.[5] According to a United States Forest Service employee, there had been at least three other homicides in the area dating back to the 1970s.[5]
Timeline edit
At approximately 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 11, a couple encountered Cooper and Stodden at the foot of the trail to Pinnacle Lake. After briefly conversing, the couple continued ahead on a route that would take them beyond the lake to a nearby mountain. The couple later reported hearing a loud commotion in the distance they believed to be thunder, but may have been the sound of gunfire. A few hours thereafter, a third hiker - traversing the same route - came across Cooper and Stodden's bodies. After determining they were both deceased, he returned to the trail head and, from there, made his way to the nearby Gold Basin campground to summon help. Before authorities could respond to the scene the first couple, returning along the trail, also encountered the bodies of Cooper and Stodden and also left the trail to seek aid.
Investigation edit
Participating agencies edit
Because the deaths were on federal land, a consultation occurred between the Snohomish County Sheriff and the United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington occurred over who would lead the investigation. Based on that consultation, it was determined the sheriff's office would be the lead agency, but would be assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Reporters visiting the scene following the murders also noted that canine teams from the Washington State Patrol were active in the area of the murder scene. The remote, forest location of the murders made investigation of the crime scene difficult, however, one former detective noted that police in Washington state were experienced in working outdoor and forest crime scenes.
Leads and clues edit
Autopsies of the victims' remains conducted by the Snohomish County medical examiner determined they had both died of "homicidal violence", specifically gunshot wounds.
Within two weeks of the murders, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office reported receiving more than 200 tips from the public regarding the crime, and said it had developed several leads which were described as "invaluable".[7] The trail on which the bodies were discovered, which was initially closed by the United States Forest Service following the discovery of the bodies, was reopened the following month.
As of 2017 the case remains unsolved.
Motive edit
Investigators with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office were unable to determine any obvious motive for the murders, such as robbery or sexual assault.[8] In a 2015 statement, a sheriff's spokesperson said the murders appeared to be "random".[8]
Theories and suspects edit
Family member edit
In November of 2006, investigators requested Susanna Stodden's husband, Dave Stodden, to take a polygraph test.[9] After initially refusing, Stodden agreed, though the results were inconclusive.[9] During a 2007 interview with the Seattle Times, Stodden said he believed he was suspected of involvement in the deaths.[9]
Israel Keyes edit
It has been speculated the murders could have been the work of serial killer Israel Keyes, who was living in Washington at the time of the crime.[10][11] Prior to his 2013 suicide, Keyes discussed a "trail of death", alluding to his involvement in unsolved homicides.[11] According to a 2013 statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI investigated the possibility of a connection between Keyes and the Pinnacle Lake murders and found it "highly unlikely" that Keyes was the perpetrator.[11]
Superhunter edit
Shortly after the deaths, investigators informed the Everett Herald that they were in contact with police in Oregon seeking information on "similar violence" that had occurred there in 2005, but declined to provide further details.[1] CNN, however, speculated that the case was related to the June 30, 2005 murder of Steven Haugen and Jeanette Bauman in the Willamette National Forest, noting that in both that case and the Pinnacle Lake Murders the victims died of gunshot wounds, were killed on United States National Forest land, and the slayings lacked any obvious motive. In the Haugen-Bauman case, authorities said the couple may have been targeted by someone who was angry the pair were "in the woods". An FBI spokesperson later elaborated that they were possibly killed by a "superhunter" - people believed to hunt humans as trophy sport in the national forests. In 2009 police in Oregon reported that, while they had no suspects in the Haugen-Bauman murders, they were "watching a group of individuals" who fit an unspecified profile.
Nearby deaths edit
In August of 2005, prior to the Pinnacle Lake murders, 19 year-old Brandon Kempf of Granite Falls, Washington was reported missing.[12] A suspect, Aaron Hillman, was arrested in California in connection with Kempf's murder after bragging to friends of his involvement.[13][a] Charged with 2nd degree murder, Hillman was ultimately released after authorities were unable to locate Kempf's remains, which were necessary to bring the case to trial.[13] In October 2006, three months following the Pinnacle Lake murders, Kempf's remains were discovered by two hikers in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. By this point Hillman had "disappeared", however, authorities said they had nothing to link the murder of Kempf with that of Cooper and Stodden.[12]
See also edit
Notes edit
References edit
- ^ a b Hefley, Diana (July 14, 2006). "Expert backs silence on case". Everett Herald. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ Stebbins, Sam (30 October 2015). "The States With The Most Serial Murder". Huffington Post. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ Kirsten, Kendrick (25 July 2012). "Why are there so many serial killers in the Northwest?". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ Cockle, Richard (8 June 2013). "Lost in Oregon: Hiker's 2012 disappearance joins hundreds of unsolved wilderness cases". Oregonian. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Whitley, Peyton (July 14, 2006). "Mysterious slayings stir fear in scenic community". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ "Pinnacle Lake Trail 703.1". USDA Forest Service. United States Forest Service. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ Hefley, Diana (July 26, 2006). "Detectives report progress on Pinnacle Lake killings case". Everett Herald. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- ^ a b "Man posts newspaper ad seeking leads in killing of wife, daughter over 9 years ago". KCPQ-TV. December 4, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- ^ a b c Sullivan, Jennifer (January 13, 2007). ""I want them to solve the case," Stodden says". Seattle Times.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Anderson, Rick (January 22, 2013). "Israel Keyes: In Plane Sight". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- ^ a b c North, Scott (August 13, 2013). "FBI doubts Keyes behind Pinnacle Lake murders". Everett Herald. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- ^ a b "Body identified as missing man". Spokesman-Review. October 24, 2006. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- ^ a b c Haley, Jim (October 13, 2006). "Prosecutors dismiss murder charge". Everett Herald. Retrieved August 3, 2017.