Lee & Grissom: Analysis of the Facts

As a disclaimer upfront, what follows is a reasonable set of inferences developed from the facts available. While conjecture, I believe I have developed a logical interpretation of the facts, and one that I would brief an investigator from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

1. We will take as granted that Karen and Rodney were traveling together, with an ultimate destination of California.

2. Rodney departed Hillsboro on 24 May 1977. Karen departed on 26 May 1977. Rodney Grissom was last seen in Albany Oregon on 24 May 1977. We will assume that Karen traveled from Hillsboro on the 26th and rendezvoused with Rodney in Albany.

3. Albany OR is a mid-sized city of approximately 60,000 on I5. Highway 20 travels east-west through town, while I5 travels north-south.

4. The last contact with Karen Lee is at 3:18pm on 26 May 1977. This is a phone call from a pay phone in Lebanon, OR to a relative or friend in Wisconsin. Lebanon, OR is approximately 15-18 miles to the east of the I5 and US20 interchange in Albany.

5. Based on the conclusion of the phone call, “our ride is here, I have to go”, we can assume 3 things: Karen and Rodney were still traveling together; there is no indication of impending danger; they have arranged a ride from Lebanon.

5. If Karen and Rodney’s ultimate destination was California, why would they be in Lebanon, 15-18 miles away from I5? I5 is the most direct and well traveled route to California. Interpretation: Rodney had previously runaway to Bend Oregon, about 100 miles east of Lebanon on US20. Bend is also where his mother lived. My working assumption is that Rodney and Karen slightly changed their plan, and decided to go to Bend first, perhaps to link up with friends in the area, or to meet with Rodney’s mother.

6. It takes about 50 minutes to drive from Lebanon to Soda Fork Road. If Karen, Rodney and their ride left Lebanon at about 3:18pm, they would arrive at Soda Fork between 4 and 4:30.

7. When Karen’s clothing was recovered, her jeans appeared to be cut. This is a detail shared with the Ackroyd survivor Marlene Gabrielsen, who’s jeans were also cut off, and the clothing recovered from Ackroyd victim Kaye Turner, who’s running shorts had also been cut. Swamp Mountain Doe, another victim attributed to Ackroyd, also had cut jeans located with her remains. Between the cut jeans, and single shoe recovered, I assume that the missing shoe remained on Karen’s foot. From the records it is hard to determine how much of Karen’s worn clothing was recovered.

8. When Rodney’s clothing was recovered, the items listed in the sources were all outerwear- jacket, jeans, belt. His shirt, t-shirt, underwear, socks and shoes were not listed as recovered. Rodney was also in possession of an orange, external frame backpack with “R. Grissom” written in ink on it. The backpack was traced to a Bend pawnshop, where it was purchased and then later sold at a garage sale in Redmond, OR. No records of who sold the backpack to the pawnshop were found, and the pack has not been located.

9. I retrieved historical weather station data for the 48 hour period covering 26 and 27 May 1977 from the Albany OR weather station. On 26 May, the high was 56, with a low of 45. It started raining at 11pm, continuing throughout the night and intensifying in the very early morning hours and continuing throughout the day of 27 May. The high for 27 May was 55, with a low of 45.

10. Based on the weather data, I will assume that Karen’s recovered sweater was worn by her that day.

11. Rodney’s recovered watch had stopped on “27th” at “4:50”. Since the watch is a two arm dial, it is not knowable whether this is AM or PM. The following is my interpretation of this fact: The “27th” date is accurate; I will assume that the watch may have been a prized possession and kept in accurate, working order as a matter of personal pride. Rodney was carrying a jewelers type screwdriver in his pocket, the type one would use to remove the back of the watch to replace a battery. Based on precipitation data, my assumption is that the watch stopped at 4:50AM on 27 May from water intrusion. This indicates to me that Rodney was most likely dead by this time.

12. Karen Lee bears a similar resemblance to the forensic anthropologist’s reconstruction of the face of Swamp Mountain Doe (found 24 July 1976 on Swamp Mountain Road, 1 mile from US20). Swamp Mountain Doe is believed to be a victim of John Ackroyd. Karen also resembles Ackroyd survivor Marlene Gabrielsen, and missing step-daughter Rachanda Pickle. Lee, Gabrielsen, Pickle and the reconstruction of Swamp Mountain Doe all have dark brown hair and brown eyes.

13. Based on the physical appearance of Karen Lee, that her items were recovered on a logging road off US20, that the cut to her jeans is consistent with other victims and her last known location of Lebanon, I concur with LCSO Detective Mike Harmon that Ackroyd is a likely suspect.

14. The Shari’s Cafe in Lebanon is located on US20 and is a known location that Ackroyd frequented. It would also be a logical stop for two runaways looking for a ride to Bend.

15. Historical maps indicate that there was a pay phone at a gas station 2 blocks from the Shari’s. Without access to phone company pen registers from 1977, it is pure conjecture that Karen’s last call was made from this particular phone at 2412 S. Santiam Highway (US20).

The following map is a time phased recreation of their assumed journey.