The latest news stories of interest in the Rogue Valley and around the state of Oregon from the digital home of Southern Oregon, Wynne Broadcasting’s RogueValleyMagazine.com
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Today– Sunny, with a high near 75. Light and variable wind.
Thursday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Light and variable wind.
Friday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Sunday– A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 2pm, then a slight chance of rain showers. Snow level rising to 2300 feet in the afternoon. Partly sunny, with a high near 53.
SOREDI Grants Offered to Businesses Impacted By 2020 Fires
The Southern Oregon Regional Economic District Incorporated (SOREDI) Foundation is opening applications for a need-based grant offered to Rogue Valley businesses impacted by wildfires. The awards are between $500 and $5,000 depending on the business’ need and economic impact.
“This is to help the businesses impacted by the wildfires of 2020,” said Colleen Padilla, executive director for SOREDI and the SOREDI Foundation. “This could be the businesses that lost everything [because] they were burned, or it could be businesses who lost their market.”
Padilla explained the SOREDI Foundation was created and certified by the IRS in 2021 separate from SOREDI in order to accept funding and issue grants for fire victims, among other purposes. The foundation raised its $100,000 in grant money all through private sector donations and seed money from SOREDI.
“We know it’s been a while since the fires have even happened,” said Padilla. “What we’re trying to is offer a little bit of hope and encouragement through a small grant to help you keep moving forward.”
In order to be considered for the grant, businesses need to demonstrate their losses through financial records, photos of fire-damaged items or spaces, or other evidence. Padilla said the grant application asks for certain documents, but her staff may ask for more during the review process depending on the type of loss reported.
Applicants are also required to list their anticipated uses for the grant money, and this will also influence the award amount.
“The portal will be open from now (April 5th) to April 19th, and it’s not a first-come-first-serve basis,” Padilla explained. “We really want to encourage applicants to take their time and make sure all the documents are correct and uploaded as needed.”
Padilla said a committee of SOREDI staff and community members will be in charge of reviewing applications. She warned that once the review process is underway, the committee might ask applicants for more documentation.
“We have a little over $100,000 to award and we expect all those awards to be made by May,” she said. “We know that seems like a long time, but we want to make sure the dollars are being used in the best way possible.” https://soredi.org/
Illinois Man Indicted After Sexually Victimizing 29 Minor Females Through Facebook, Including Several Oregon Victims
JCSO Case 20-8521
JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – A Jackson County Grand Jury indicted a man from Illinois today for forcefully coercing minor females to send sexually explicit images through Facebook and Facebook messenger.
The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) began the investigation after receiving a report from a local minor child victim. Through further investigations, SOCET discovered 29 minor child victims throughout the United States and Canada. SOCET worked with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to identify the out-of-state victims and build the federal case. Locally, the case is being prosecuted by the Jackson County District Attorney’s office.
The suspect, Michael Anthony Ferris, 43, of Mill Shoals, Illinois, is charged with three felony counts of using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct, and coercion. These charges stem from a report Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) took May 8, 2020 of a sex offense in the Rogue Valley. The mother of a minor child victim reported her daughter came in contact with an unknown suspect posing as a friend on Facebook. Using threats and intimidation, the suspect coerced the juvenile to send him nude photos. SOCET took over the investigation and discovered Ferris victimized many other minor children sexually, including a victim in Salem, Ore.
Ferris repeatedly used electronic devices and interactive computer services to transmit threatening communications to minor females and young women across the United States and Canada. Ferris transmitted these threatening communications with the intent to extort digital images, videos, or webcam video of the victims in various states of undress, exposing themselves, and engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Ferris used a number of different names on Facebook and Facebook messenger, to include “Sammy Gray” and “Sarah Mansfield.”
Ferris is currently incarcerated in Illinois on 27 total felony counts. These charges include two counts of sexual exploitation of a child under 18, six counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child under 18, distribution of child pornography, nine counts of interstate extortion, and nine counts of cyberstalking.
SOCET enables local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with federal partners such as HSI, to effectively investigate and prosecute out-of-state suspects when they victimize children in our community. SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO, Medford Police Department, Grants Pass Police Department, and HSI; as well as prosecutors from our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County.
Investigators have reason to believe Ferris may have other victims. If anyone has additional information on the suspect, please call your local law enforcement agency or the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (541) 774-8333. Jackson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Fatal Crash on I-5 Kills Pedestrian Near Roseburg
On April 5, 2022, at about 5:42AM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a vehicle vs pedestrian crash on Interstate 5 NB near milepost 132, north of Roseburg.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a Dodge utility truck operated by, Garry Davis, age 57, of Roseburg, was traveling northbound and collided with a pedestrian who was walking in the travel lanes of the freeway. The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel.
The pedestrian was identified as, Anika Jamison, age 24, of Florence.
OSP was assisted by Sutherlin Police Department, Douglas County Fire District 2, ODOT and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office -Medical Examiner’s office Oregon State Police
Crater Lake Snow Fall Below Average
Even though heavy snow fell Monday, near record snowfall and snow pack are being recorded at Crater Lake National Park this season, but not in the way drought-stricken people in Southern Oregon want to see.
As of Monday morning, 42 inches of snow was measured at park headquarters in Munson Valley, well below the average 116 inches and only 36 percent of the historical average.
Likewise, the snow year total measured from October 1 was 290 inches, again well below the average of 420 inches.
Park records also indicate the average yearly snowfall has continued to decline. Twenty years ago the average winter snowfall, as measured from October 1 through June, was 534 inches. In recent years, the average has dropped to 507 inches a season.
Precipitation, which measures rain and melted snow, for the season is 37 inches, again well below the 52-inch average. During one 30-day stretch, no precipitation was measured.
The 2021-22 winter season has produced other surprises. Heavy snowfall in December had the snowpack at 150 percent of average, giving hope for a long, snowy season. Along with benefiting winter recreationalists, a strong snowpack and spring melting snow charge water levels for rivers and streams that feed Upper Klamath Lake, the Klamath River and other tributaries.
Redesigned COVID-19 Daily Data Dashboard: http://ow.ly/WEjB50IBwkh Updated every weekday, the dashboard highlights data from several sources that monitor for COVID-19 trends and links to related dashboards for more detailed information. While we’ve made changes to the way we report COVID-19 data, the pandemic isn’t over. We continue to monitor COVID-19 and will report developments to keep you informed.
Register for free today to participate in Point Source Youth’s 2nd Annual Rural Conference on Youth Homelessness
The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program and Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) are sponsoring the registration cost for 350 Oregonians to attend Point Source Youth’s 2nd Annual Rural Conference on Youth Homelessness.
Anyone in Oregon who wants to learn more about initiatives and interventions to support youth experiencing homelessness in rural communities is welcome to register online here for the conference using the promo code ODHS200 when registering.
Registration is always free for youth and young adults and they do not need to use the promo code.
Point Source Youth is a leading national partner in advocacy, technical assistance, research and evaluation related to youth experiencing homelessness.
The virtual conference will be held April 12 and 13, 2022. The conference will bring youth advocates, service providers, activists and thought leaders together from rural communities across the United States to focus on best practices for ending youth homelessness through the lens of intersectionality.
Topics of discussion during the two-day conference will include:
- Host home program creation
- Direct cash transfer programs
- Sessions lead by youth who have experienced homelessness
- Providing care and support for LGBTQIA2S+ youth
“We encourage anyone in Oregon who wants to learn more about supporting youth experiencing homelessness in rural communities to register and take advantage of the free registration we are able to provide,” said Claire Seguin, Deputy Director of the ODHS Self-Sufficiency Program. “Whether you are a service provider, volunteer, advocate or someone who wants to help, we hope you take this chance to register at no cost and participate in the conference.”
“Providing opportunities to learn and grow, especially learning from people with lived experience, is one of the most important ways we can shed light on the crisis of youth experiencing homelessness in Oregon,” said Mike Savara, OHCS assistant director of homeless services. “We know that access to services, housing opportunities and culturally responsive services are key to solving this crisis. OHCS is proud to partner with ODHS Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program to provide vital information to folks across Oregon, especially across Rural Oregon, to help generate better outcomes for our youth.”
Learn more about the ODHS Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program online here.
About the Oregon Department of Human Services
The mission of the Oregon Department of Human Services is to help Oregonians in their own communities achieve wellbeing and independence through opportunities that protect, empower, respect choice and preserve dignity.
About Oregon Housing and Community Services
Oregon Housing and Community Services provides resources for Oregonians to reduce poverty and increase access to stable housing. Our intentional focus on both housing and community services allows us to serve Oregonians holistically across the housing continuum, including preventing and ending homelessness, assisting with utilities, providing housing stability support, financing multifamily affordable housing and encouraging homeownership.
Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office and Parabon NanoLabs assist Hood River County Sheriff’s Office in Identifying Skeletal Remains from the 2009 Cold Case
Please note: the name of the identified decedent is being kept private at the request of family members.
On December 24, 2009, the remains of a skeletonized human body were discovered by children playing in a wooded area west of an Oregon Department of Transportation gravel storage facility in Hood River County, Oregon. Law enforcement responded and recovered the almost-complete skeleton of a male individual, a large suitcase full of clothing, and a small backpack with toiletries. No identification for the deceased was found within these items.
An examination of the body determined that the decedent was most likely a Caucasian male, between 30 and 50 years of age at the time of death, around 5’9” in living stature. All teeth were recovered; dental charting and x-rays were created; in 2011, the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office uploaded the case into the National Missing and Unidentified Person System (NamUs) and submitted a bone sample to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification. A DNA profile was processed, completed, and uploaded into the CODIS database at that time. Unfortunately, no genetic associations to missing persons or family reference standards in the CODIS database were found. The DNA profile continued to be searched against the national database, with no resolutions.
In 2018, the Oregon State Police Medical Examiner’s Office was awarded a federal grant to perform innovative DNA techniques on unsolved unidentified skeletal remains cases. This case was recognized as one that could potentially be resolved by DNA Phenotyping and Investigative Genetic Genealogy provided by OSP’s vendor lab, Parabon NanoLabs (“Parabon”).
The existing extract from the University of North Texas was shipped to Parabon in March 2021 and an SNP DNA profile was successfully generated.
Parabon was first asked to perform a Snapshot®Advanced DNA Phenotyping analysis. DNA Phenotyping is a technology that analyzes an SNP DNA profile and predicts eye color, hair color, skin color, freckling, the shape of the face, and biogeographic ancestry of the DNA contributor. In this case, Parabon predicted the deceased individual was of Northern European descent, with very fair skin, hazel or brown eyes, dark brown hair, and likely had “some” freckling of the skin during life. This information, along with the image that accompanied the report, was immediately uploaded onto the NamUs website to be used for missing person comparison purposes.
Investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) is a lead generation tool that is used to identify human remains by tying DNA from those remains to a family with a missing person. It is also used in perpetrator cases to point to the likely identity of an individual whose DNA was found at a crime scene. Identification of a person is accomplished through the use of comparative DNA analysis, which measures the amount of DNA that is shared between two people, combined with traditional genealogy research using historical records to infer relationships between individuals.
The investigative genetic genealogy report authored by Parabon NanoLabs and released in June 2021 immediately provided an abundance of compelling information and the strongest investigative lead yet in this 13-year-old cold case. The report strongly suggested that, after discovering genetic connections through both of his parents’ family trees, the decedent was a man who had been reported missing in 2008 from the east coast (his name is being kept private out of respect for the family).
The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office had already successfully coded and x-rayed all the dental characteristics of this decedent, so a request to compare the antemortem dental records of the missing person to the decedent found in Oregon was made. The charting comparison by the Oregon State Forensic Odontologist proved that the remains were consistent with the dental records of the missing man.
Based on the totality of the genetic information and the consistency between the dental charts, the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the positive identification in July of 2021.
In August of 2021, Hood River County approached the family with this sad resolution and received a startling response; the family was unconvinced that the body discovered in Oregon state was that of their missing loved one.
Renowned Parabon Chief Genetic Genealogist CeCe Moore set out to explain the complicated and nuanced genealogy report to the missing man’s family. Although she made a full-fledged effort to convince them, the family requested additional evidence to support the identification. The decision was made to provide further DNA testing to substantiate the genetic link, and an oral swab from a sibling of the missing man was requested for kinship inference analysis.
The Kinship Inference report authored by Parabon NanoLabs in March 2022 was definitive. It stated, “A sample from the kinship tester was compared to the unknown Subject in this case, and they were found to share 2745.9 centimorgans [1] of autosomal DNA (atDNA) with 630.6 centimorgans of the shared DNA fully identical, and 57.5 cM of X-Chromosome DNA (X-DNA)…This amount and type of shared DNA is exclusively consistent with a full (sibling) relationship.”
There are only 2 known biological offspring in this family, and no other male children are known to have been born to the parents identified in the genetic genealogy report. The unidentified body was therefore identified again as the man reported missing in 2008 from the east coast.
“My colleagues and I are grateful for the opportunity to help identify this individual and assist in providing some resolution to his family. As always, we are inspired by the tireless dedication of Dr. Nici Vance, her colleagues at OSP, and the Hood River detectives, who never gave up on this case. The fact that this case has been resolved is directly attributable to their determination and willingness to adopt new investigative technologies and techniques”, said CeCe Moore.
The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s office have now collaborated with the family; the body was successfully released to the funeral home of their choice in April 2022.
This case represents the nuances and sad realities of cold case investigations, and the fact that Oregon’s efforts reach nationwide. Sometimes family members are hesitant, skeptical, or downright unconvinced of identification, especially after time has elapsed from months to years, to decades. In addition, new DNA technology can be daunting and difficult to explain for those of us now exploring these new techniques. Grant funding has allowed the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office to provide extensive DNA testing confirmation, proving that OSP is willing to go above and beyond to provide answers for families of the missing.
“The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office is lucky and honored to have diligent, compassionate, and knowledgeable colleagues in Parabon NanoLabs and genetic genealogists like CeCe Moore, who assist us and our partner agencies in any way they can to resolve cases. We continue to be so grateful for the opportunity to work with Parabon on our cold unidentified person cases.” Dr. Nici Vance, State Forensic Anthropologist, and Human Identification Program Coordinator.
Photo credit: 2-D re-approximation of facial features and pigmentation generated by Parabon NanoLabs in 2021 using the Snapshot® Advanced DNA Phenotyping technology.
[1] A centimorgan is a unit used to measure genetic linkage. One centimorgan translates to approximately one million base pairs of DNA sequence in the human genome. The higher the number of centimorgans, the closer the relatedness the oral swab donor is to the deceased subject. Oregon State Police –
One of Oregon’s Most Prolific Serial Killers Has Resentencing Hearing
Dayton Leroy Rogers, dubbed The Molalla Forest Murderer, will be resentenced on Wednesday after the Oregon Supreme Court overturned his death sentence.
Rogers, who is now 68, has been in prison since his 1989 conviction on 13 counts in connection with the deaths of six women, whose bodies were found in a forest near Molalla in 1987. Rogers had one of the highest confirmed death counts of any Oregon serial killer, and most of his victims were picked up in Portland.
Though it is possible his resentencing could result in a parole hearing in the future, it is likely to result in life imprisonment instead of death. The sentencing hearing is set for 9 a.m. in Clackamas County, where the murders all took place.
The Oregon Supreme Court overturned his death sentence in November 2021 which narrowed the application of the death penalty to match a 2019 law.
Rogers was arrested August 7, 1987 and connected to the rape, torture and deaths of 7 women: Cynthia “Dee Dee” Diane DeVore, 21; Maureen Ann Hodges, 26; Reatha Marie Gyles, 16; Nondace “Noni” Kae Cervantes, 26; Lisa Marie Mock, 23; Christine Lotus Adams, 35; and Jennifer Lisa Smith, 25.
He was convicted of killing 6 of them with a knife. An eighth victim believed killed by Rogers was found but never identified, and Rogers was never charged in her death. https://murderpedia.org/male.R/r/rogers-dayton-leroy.htm
FBI Oregon’s Tech Tuesday: Building a digital defense against a new cryptocurrency scam called Pig Butchering.
Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense against a new cryptocurrency scam: Pig Butchering.
The Pig Butchering scam pulls on heartstrings and purse strings.
The fraud is named for the way scammers feed their victims with promises of romance and riches before cutting them off and taking all their money.
It’s run by a fraud ring of cryptocurrency scammers who mine dating apps and other social media for victims.
And the scam is becoming alarmingly popular.
In 2021, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 4,300 complaints related to crypto-romance scams, resulting in more than $429 million in losses.
The scam started in China in late 2019, but, as those numbers indicate, it’s now becoming more prevalent in the United States. Scammers are using translation programs to communicate seamlessly with their victims.
Victims have very similar stories: Meeting someone on a dating app, the scammer gains the confidence and trust of the victim, and then claims to have knowledge of cryptocurrency investment or trading opportunities that will result in substantial profits. The victim is then directed to transfer large amounts of cryptocurrency from the exchange account to cryptocurrency wallets controlled by fraudsters, ultimately losing it all.
Here’s how to protect yourself:
- Never send money, trade, or invest based on the advice of someone you have only met online.
- Don’t talk about your current financial status to unknown and untrusted people.
- Don’t provide your banking information, Social Security Number, copies of your identification or passport, or any other sensitive information to anyone online or to a site you do not know is legitimate.
- If an online investment or trading site is promoting unbelievable profits, it is most likely that—unbelievable.
- Be cautious of individuals who claim to have exclusive investment opportunities and urge you to act fast.
If you are the victim of any online fraud, you should report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office. FBI – Oregon
Grants Pass Missing Person
The Grants Pass Police Department is seeking assistance from the public in locating 30 year old Noah Baker. Baker was despondent after an argument and left his residence in Grants Pass driving a silver Ford Fiesta with Oregon Plate 671MUR.
Baker is described as a white male adult, 5’09”, 170 lbs, brown hair and blue eyes and was last seen wearing black sweats, black shirt, black shoes and a black hat.
If anyone knows of his whereabouts or sees Baker, please call your local law enforcement agency or the Grants Pass Police at 541-450-6260. Reference case #2022-14203 Grants Pass Police Department
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Asks for Public’s Help in Search For Trucker Suspect
The first real clue to come in on all the missing person cases in the area. Help Klamath Falls Oregon Sheriff Office ID this trucker. He was the last to see this woman alive and could be the key to not only solving this woman’s disappearance but a number of the hundred other women missing in PNW. IF you have any information, please call (541) 883-5130
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/