This had originally been discovered by a dog, but the dog's owner called police to the scene, leading to a full-scale dig of the area where the skull had been found, which uncovered some additional fragments of bone. Linn County Sheriff's Office mounted extensive search for Rachanda Pickle in 1990 SWEET HOME Rachanda Pickle was wearing a T-shirt, black sweat pants and tennis shoes when the 13-year-old. In fact, the only clothing that seemed to be missing was a pair of black sweatpants and a white New Kids on the Block t-shirt she had been wearing a lot recently, so it was theorized that she had been wearing those items when she went missing. You do what you need to do to keep a dangerous person incarcerated.". Her case remained unsolved. However, as recounted by family members, later on, she never ventured too far out into the woods unless she had her big brother Byron with her. Investigators zeroed in on the encounter, suspecting that harming Rachanda had excited him. To this day, this remains one of the few decisions in Bryon's life that he wishes he could change. A police photo shows Rachanda's bedroom. The home showed no signs of foul play. However, the information that he was able to recall - such as her weight and bra size, as well as when she had started getting periods - didn't paint him in the most flattering light. Her disappearance triggered one of the larger searches in the Linn Countys history. Last updated April 1, 2021; clothing/jewelry description and details of disappearance updated. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Chandy Pickle | Unidentified Wiki | Fandom (ALBANY, OR) - Linn County detectives arrested a man for murder related to the 1990 disappearance of Rachanda Leah Pickle. They continued to live together, though, raising Linda's two kids, Rachanda and her older brother, Byron. For some reason, however, the agreement had been kept confidential for over three years, until after Ackroyd's death. Where is she? Linda asked Ackroyd as darkness enveloped the highway compound. Such a move is typically reserved for a national security-related case or oneinvolving sexual assault victims. Approximately two months later, Rachanda's 14th birthday would pass by without any celebration or fanfare. Lt. Darrel James would later tell reporters with the Albany Democrat-Herald: "You think you're going to find some clothing, a shoe. Despite that, however, reporters with Oregon Live and the Oregonian have uncovered information that points to a long reign of terror for this one man, which extended far beyond his two known crimes. Sadly, searches of the area would be unable to come up with any answers; whatever had happened to Kaye Turner, she seemed to have disappeared into thin air. Seiber is shown here with her daughter. However, the search would be confined to this specific area for the first several days, with the search not extending far beyond the immediate vicinity. Even the pajamas she was last seen wearing were found in her bedroom. Born on March 15th, 1977, Rachanda Lea Pickle (commonly called "Chandy" by her loved ones) was the second child born to her parents, Steven and Linda, who split up and divorced when the children were quite young. Yet even in those types of cases, the terms of a plea agreement aren't generally secret. Before Ackroyd entered their lives, their mother cycled through boyfriends and husbands. When I left, she was laying on the couch watching TV, and I kissed her, and I hugged her and said 'I love you, Channy, and I'll see you later.'". Rachanda was described as being your typical teenage girl. As part of their negotiations, prosecutors pressed Ackroyd to disclose her whereabouts; he refused to say. Hed planned to fix snowplows but decided to take the day off after learning parts hadnt arrived, a claim that baffled his supervisor, who said there was plenty of work to keep Ackroyd busy. Michelle Seiber and her sister, Mandy Cook, were friends with Rachanda in elementary school in Sweet Home. Based on the information being given to them by Rachanda's family members, investigators began to believe that the 13-year-old might have been abducted from her home. Ackroyd didnt seem bothered that Rachanda was gone and spoke about his missing stepdaughter in a way no panicked parent ever would. "He said, 'I will give a plea but I want the case to stop at this point and it not be announced that I have entered the plea and in return I won't ever try to get out of prison.'". She reportedly declined and when Ackroyd returned home about 12:45 p.m., she was gone. He would lead police to this scene - which he had discovered by mere chance, as he told it - and investigators would later identify the remains as Kaye Jean Turner's. By now, investigators knew who they were dealing with. He wouldnt leave her for nothing.. Rachanda's stepfather, John Arthur Ackroyd, is the last person known to have seen her. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Kaye Turner's killing became a faded memory. What we're afraid of is that someone came up to the house, found her alone here and took her.". For that reason, he had been on the shortlist for suspects, but police had no additional evidence to suspect Ackroyd's involvement in what was still listed as a missing persons case not a murder (yet). As police continued their search of the area around Rachanda's family's home, they would also continue an investigation of the people inside of it. However, she agreed to go with him later to pick up Linda from work. In March of 1996, police would investigate the origins of a partial skull recovered near Crawfordsville, about fifty miles east of where Rachanda had last been seen alive. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. We just don't want people to forget that she's gone.". The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The Oregonian/OregonLive went to court to lift a judge's order that had kept secret for years John Ackroyd's unusual plea deal in the death of his 13-year-old stepdaughter Rachanda Pickle. When he returned to the house at approximately 12:45 p.m., Rachanda had vanished. She would eventually remarry and move down to California, where she resides today. 0. Her stepfather was charged with her murder in 2013 but died three years later without revealing Chandy's whereabouts. Her bedroom did appear to be a mess, but as Linda would later tell reporters: "Her bedroom looked like an explosion hit it, but that wasn't unusual. But prosecutors argued that not only had John given contradictory statements to questions he fully understood, but he had also lied about certain details to deflect suspicion from himself. Noelle Crombie | The Oregonian/OregonLive. It was important to Ackroyd to have his plea sealed, prosecutors said. Oregon's 48 missing children: Photos, how to help He even pretended to aid in the fruitless search for the girl. First Name: Rachanda Lea. Ghosts of Highway 20 Within weeks, Melissa and Sheila were dead. An adult would have a database trail associated with credit cards, utility bills, driver's licenses and property transactions. One of John Ackroyds coworkers was working on Highway 20 the morning Rachanda disappeared. They also might have belonged to an indigenous person that lived in the area centuries beforehand. Her stepdad., Ackroyds grim speculation about the harm that had likely come to Rachanda echoed gory stories like the ones hed replay over and over in Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Linda Monville, Rachanda's mother, keeps this photo of Rachanda and Byron on a shelf in her home. After Rachanda disappeared, he and her mother separated, and her mother moved to California and remarried. The men drove by Santiam Junction, slowing as they passed the eastern edge of the highway compound where Ackroyds manufactured home backed up to the woods. This skull would be sent off for analysis in May of 1996, but months would pass before it was announced that scientists from Pennsylvania State University had been unable to extract DNA from the partial pieces of bone. The resolution, in this case, would allow closure for the loved ones of Kaye Turner but was little solace for the friends and family of Rachanda Pickle, who had been missing for approximately four years at the time of sentencing. A public records request by The Oregonian/OregonLive led a judge to order the release details of the agreement and other documents in the court file. This seemed to leave the case in an unusual spot moving forward since the victim's body had never been found, and now the only suspect had died without the case going to trial. Current Sheriff Tim Mueller was a deputy involved with the search and rescue team in 1990. He recalled that Rachanda was on the living room couch in her pajamas, watching cartoons, at the time. He offered stability and helped provide for her two children. If we could find her remains, we could say our final goodbye, but at this point, we don't have anything We still think about her. They continued to believe that Ackroyd was involved in his stepdaughter's disappearance, and began to go through his statements with a fine-toothed comb. Rachanda's mother, Linda Monville, 62, left Oregon 26 years ago and remarried. Most nights, the pair could be found at Sharis in Lebanon, where teens and adults gathered to talk on CB radios and drink coffee. Rachanda was a good kid, helping around the house and taking care not to stray far. In one transcript of an interrogation, Ackroyd offered this explanation of what could have happened to Rachanda: Somebody could have just come in, Ackroyd told police, knocked her over the head, throw her over the shoulders and just walk out without anybody seeing her.. Sadly, this is where the story just kind of ends. McAnulty wondered if an ex-wife might see the events of the distant past in a different light. "My guess is the prosecution was in a bind in terms of how tough this case was and so I think when the state has cases that are weak, they tend to pursue creative options," Beloof said. Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. She didn't even have a telephone in their home.". Updated 10 times since October 12, 2004. "I think we've come to the conclusion that we're probably not looking for a live individual.". Police would begin to reach out to those close to Rachanda and learned that John had been abusive to Rachanda and her brother in the past. The first time he stared ahead as Corinna Strouse waved hello. These sporadic sightings extended not only through Oregon, but throughout a large chunk of the country; in particular, along the west coast, ranging as far south as California and as far north as Vancouver. She was afraid to go home from school; as a . "Ensuring that Mr. Ackroyd was never released from prison has been a primary objective this office has pursued for a number of years," said Linn County District Attorney Doug Marteeny. The family lived at the state highway division compound at Santiam Junction, where U.S. 20 and Oregon 22 meet. Rachanda nicknamed Chandy and her brother, Byron, had gone to live with their biological father, Steve Pickle, in Medford. While the case would remain registered as open and/or unsolved in the Oregon state database, there was no movement to proceed with Ackroyd's trial for the murder of Rachanda Pickle. A dozen or so work crews called the junction home. During the ensuing court case, defense attorneys would argue that John Arthur Ackroyd was slow-witted and mentally deficient, to the point of him being unaware of specific questions asked by investigators. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Linn County Sheriff's Office He stated that a black duffel bag filled with clothes - which he had seen with Rachanda just days before her disappearance - was missing from her belongings at the time. Last seen alive: July 10, 1990. Lt. Darrel James, who had coordinated the search efforts, told reporters during a press briefing: "There's no reason to think she ran away, and no information that she just walked off playing around. I know that my daughters dead, Steve Pickle said in a 2003 newspaper interview. At the same time, a dozen investigators working the Turner case seized on Ackroyds shifting accounts. Her mother noticed the girls hairbrush, makeup and earrings were still there. Linda would last see Rachanda when she left for work just after 6:00 AM. John Ackroyd was her third husband. Linn County Sheriff's Office mounted extensive search for Rachanda Michelle Seiber, Rachanda's classmate and friend, had a feeling that her stepdad did something because she was scared of him. A police photograph shows evidence from the investigation into Kaye Turners murder. From there, the search would be extended outside of the area around the maintenance complex that Rachanda lived in, to a roughly 50-square-mile area near Lost Lake, Hoodoo Butte, and Potato Hill. He would eventually move back, however, to be closer to family. Ackroyd had driven to a state highway office in Bend, but returned home after only about an hour. Hanlon, whod spent his career practicing law in rural Oregon, knew of Ackroyd from reading a slim three-ring binder stashed in a cardboard box left behind by his predecessor. She was 13. The family had lived at the state highway compound for six years. They ended up staying at Lake Creek Lodge with a small group of friends for Christmas, and Kaye Turner - hoping to take advantage of the quiet surroundings on the morning of Christmas Eve - headed out on a six-mile jog through the woods. We saw no human movement at all; no tracks, no nothing.". He would continue to plead his innocence in both cases, including the murder of Kaye Turner, which he had already been found guilty of. Rachanda Pickle's brother, Byron Pickle, was consulted during the state's negotiations with Ackroyd, Marteeny said. Didnt do anything to Kaye Jean Turner? McAnulty asked, his voice cool. In fall 2013, according to the unsealed court records, Ackroyd agreed not to seek parole and to decline release even if he became eligible in exchange for his no contest plea in his stepdaughter's death. Rachanda was last seen watching television at her family's residence on the Santiam Pass in Sweet Home, Oregon at 10:00 a.m. on July 10, 1990. While the family's home was surrounded by dense wilderness, Rachanda quickly picked up on the area around them. Another time, they snuck her into their bedroom closet. Their childhood friend, Michelle Seiber, said Rachanda wouldnt have dreamed of leaving behind her brother. She's real fond of her makeup.". While John had been married to and/or living with Rachanda's mother for approximately six years, he seemed to know very little personal information about the missing girl: he was unable to recall her birthday or other details like that. Despite them ruling out the theory pretty definitively within a day or so of her disappearance, investigators would be plagued by rumors of potential sightings throughout the area. In the case of Rachanda, however, he told investigators that she had been, as recounted by the Oregonian in their "Ghosts of Highway 20" project: " dumped and buried in the woods or threatened with a knife, tied up and gagged, her body rolled in plastic". They would also spend hours going through the Ackroyd home, taking photographs and looking for any evidence that pointed to a struggle having taken place inside. Her new husband, John, lived in Santiam Junction, at a state Highway Division maintenance complex at the junction of highways 20 and 22, close to Santiam Pass (an approx. Once, he invited neighbors over to watch horror movies, becoming so animated over scenes of women being chopped up that hed hit rewind again and again. As had been the case beforehand, nothing of any significance was found during these searches. On the morning of July 10, Rachanda was awake early to help her mother get ready for the day. Didnt do anything to Channy? the cop pressed. He later told police that when he did return, the front door was partly open, and a pellet gun he owned was propped up against a camper, with a box of pellets nearby. Linda cited their home's proximity to Highway 20, as their home was the closest to the highway out of all of them at the maintenance complex. Occasionally, Ackroyd would reach for one of the Fireball candies he carried in his pocket. Rachanda Pickle - The Charley Project Blog Rachanda Pickle Unresolved While he had always been a suspect for investigators, suspicion into him had seemed to wane after police came up empty-handed. Could trucks be to blame for killing more pedestrians? "We asked the brother what his desire was and his desire to take this deal and . In 2012, Linn County authorities took another look at her disappearance. The reason for it remaining confidential for over three years has never been determined and is only known by the people in the courtroom that fateful day in 2013. So, lots of NKOTB, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Martika - you know, all the old school late 80's/early 90's goodness. At other times, friends saw her with a black eye and a wound from where hed ripped out a patch of her hair. He was arrested a little less than two years later for his involvement in the murder of Kaye Turner, and spent the rest of his shitty, miserable life behind bars. Rachanda's stepfather, John Arthur Ackroyd, is the last person known to have seen her. Monville disputes that Ackroyd beat Rachanda and Byron. The sheriff's office would eventually reach out to the FBI the following January (1991), asking for the Criminal Investigative Analysis Team from Portland to help. John Ackroyd, a longtime state highway worker, died alone in his prison celllate last year while serving a life sentence in another murder. RACHANDA PICKLE - zaginiona pasierbica seryjnego mordercy I did not do nothing. Linn County Circuit Judge David Delsman granted the request. The couple ate; then they had sex, significant because they almost never did. Three years would pass, in which this case seemed to just fade from the headlines. However, following the disappearance of John's stepdaughter, investigators had begun looking into the dormant case of Kaye Turner. However, these hearings came to an abrupt end after October 4th, 2013. You have permission to edit this article. Foul play is suspected in Rachanda's disappearance due to the circumstances involved. In the case of Kaye Turner, he had guessed that the woman had been shot and stabbed to death. And he wouldnt leave her either. Within 30 minutes of her mom getting home from work, she'd be right there, hanging on her mom's shirttail". Oregonian/OregonLive fought to unseal secret deal in Rachanda Pickle's If she had run away, she had not done so with any of her clothing or makeup. He wasn't required to provide the location of Rachanda's remains or anything like that; nor, it's believed, any specific details of the crime itself. Speaking to the Albany Democrat-Herald in March of 1996, Rachanda's aunt, JoAnn Serdy would state: "Everything's hanging in limbo. Weeks after his death, prosecutors publicly acknowledged for the first time that Ackroyd had entered a plea in 2013 in the disappearance and presumed murder of Rachanda Pickle, his stepdaughter. Her disappearance set off one of the largest search efforts in Linn County history; her remains were never found. He is also a suspect in the deaths of two other young women. Martinak told a Democrat-Herald reporter at the time that despite the rough conditions, mounted posses and search teams on foot were attacking the terrain. Police and court records filled a file cabinet in the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. Doug Beloof, a professor at Lewis & Clark Law School, said it's unusual for the court to seal a plea agreement. Despite the case officially being "solved", the loved ones of Rachanda are left with just as many unanswered questions today as they had back in 1990. And on the morning she vanished, Rachanda asked her mother not to go to work. Russell Barnett, a Portland criminal defense lawyer who represented Ackroyd along with Elizabeth Baker, declined to say why Ackroyd wanted the deal to remain secret. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. During their digging into this case, they would uncover a plea deal agreed upon by both prosecutors and John Ackroyd, which had been agreed upon back in 2013, after charges had been filed in Rachanda's murder. She feared him and often asked friends if she could spend the night. Load the dishwasher. Eight months later, Ackroyd reported finding her remains in the woods. On the morning of December 24th, 1978, Kaye Jean Turner left a cabin she had been renting near Camp Sherman, a tourist hotspot in central Oregon, about 40 miles northwest of Bend. You can cancel at any time. Investigators were already familiar with John because of his history; in particular, his connection to the still-unsolved case of Kaye Turner, the jogger that had gone missing on Christmas Eve back in 1978. After his stepdaughter went missing, investigators reopened the Turner case and charged Ackroyd. He would live nearby with his mother in Sweet Home. Jim Salsbery was instrumental in the investigation that culminated with Ackroyds conviction in the death of Kaye Jean Turner. Rachanda declined, citing the chores her mother expected her to finish, he said. The whereabouts of Rachanda Pickle have never been determined, with none of her friends, family members, or acquaintances having seen her after July 10th, 1990. A forensic examination of the sweatpants would later reveal that they likely did not belong to Rachanda. Linda Ackroyd and her young children moved around Springfield and Sweet Home before she settled down with Ackroyd in the 1980s. The night of RachandaPickles disappearance, John Ackroydinitiated sex with Linda Ackroyd. We can surmise that this is when he returned home and encountered Rachanda at around 9:30 AM. She has double pierced ears and a scar on her forehead. Rachanda has a scar on her forehead. My children know they did have an Aunt Rachanda.. But Rachanda grew homesick and came back a few days before her disappearance.