Brooke Wilberger msg. (Body Found/ suspect charged) 5/24/004

[CSAFD]

Prosecutor would combine Ore. murder suspect's cases
March 11th, 2009

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- Benton County prosecutors want to combine cases against Joel Patrick Courtney, claiming they are similar.

Courtney is accused of the 2004 murder of college student Brooke Wilberger and, in a separate case, attempted kidnapping and murder of two other women on the same day.

Courtney, extradited from New Mexico, has been charged with 19 counts of aggravated murder, kidnapping, rape and sodomy in connection with Wilberger, a 19-year-old Brigham Young University student who disappeared in Corvallis May 24, 2004, and who is presumed dead. Her body has not been found. The Wilberger trial is expected to begin in 2010.

The Corvallis Gazette-Times newspaper said hearings on the request to merge the trials are set for May.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=5819957

[sarahhod]

Boss says Courtney fired before Wilberger vanished

3/13/2009, 1:51 a.m. PDT
The Associated Press


EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — The employer who provided the company minivan that authorities say Joel Courtney used in the abduction of Brooke Wilberger said he fired Courtney shortly before the young woman's disappearance.
In a sworn affidavit, Jose Lomeli, the regional manager of Creative Building Maintenance, said Courtney's last day of work was May 15, 2004 — nine days before 19-year-old vanished from a Corvallis apartment complex. He said Courtney failed to respond to 10 phone messages requesting the van's return.
The affidavit — obtained by The Register-Guard newspaper — is part of a federal civil suit filed by Wilberger's family against Creative Building Maintenance, which briefly employed the man charged with killing the Brigham Young University student.
http://ads.oregonlive.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/www.oregonlive.com/xml/story/ap/or/n/6330/@StoryAd?x (http://ads.oregonlive.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.oregonlive.com/xml/story/ap/or/n/6330/@StoryAd?x) The lawsuit contends the firm was negligent in hiring Courtney, who had been convicted of sex abuse in 1985, and providing him with a van. The Veneta family also claims the company failed to properly supervise Courtney.
In his statement, Lomeli described how he hired Courtney as a Northwest supervisor for the business that provided janitorial services to retail chains. Lomeli said he heard about Courtney from Jesus Ordaz, a Creative Building Maintenance employee who is Courtney's brother-in-law.
Lomeli said Courtney was interviewed for a job delivering supplies, inspecting the work of janitor crews and communicating with customers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Courtney did well in the interview and was hired May 5.
Lomeli said he trained Courtney for a week, introducing him to store managers.
"On the training trip, we stayed at the same motel at night and were together each day for a week," Lomeli said. "Mr. Courtney appeared very normal in all his interactions with me and our customers and crews. He appeared to drive normally, and did not show any violent behavior to anyone, did not use the van in any illegal way, and did not give any indication of being a violent person."
But once Courtney was on his own, Lomeli realized the hiring was a mistake. Courtney missed store appointments, couldn't be reached on the company cell phone and didn't return messages.
"I did not hear that he was acting in any sort of violent or criminal way, but did hear from store managers that he was not dependable," Lomeli said. "I decided to terminate Mr. Courtney and take the van and cell phone back."
Lomeli said May 15 was the last day of Courtney's employment, citing the submission of motel and gasoline receipts for reimbursement.
When Courtney didn't respond to phone messages requesting the van's return, Lomeli went to the Ordaz home to get it. "I saw the van in the driveway once, but no one answered the door to give me the keys," he said. "On my second visit, the van had disappeared."
Two weeks later, Lomeli learned that Courtney had driven the van to New Mexico, where he lived before taking the job. Lomeli sent Ordaz to retrieve the vehicle, which Ordaz then used on company business until police seized it several months later.
Benton County authorities say DNA evidence shows Wilberger had been in the vehicle. Her body has not been found.


http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-30/1236934750171310.xml&storylist=orlocal

[sarahhod]

Employer says suspect acted erratically The company that hired the man accused of killing Brooke Wilberger, 19, is being sued in federal court by her family

By Karen McCowan (karen.mccowan@registerguard.com)
The Register-Guard

Posted to Web: Friday, Mar 13, 2009 12:33AM
Appeared in print: Friday, Mar 13, 2009, page B4
News: Local: Story

The man accused in the 2004 kidnapping, rape and murder of Elmira High School graduate Brooke Wilberger was behaving so erratically around the time of her disappearance that his employer decided to fire him, court records show.
In a sworn affidavit, the manager who hired Joel Patrick Courtney and provided the company minivan allegedly used in the crime said he began phoning Courtney to fire him about a week before Wilberger vanished from a Corvallis apartment complex on May 24, 2004.
The statement is part of a federal civil suit by Wilberger’s family against Creative Building Maintenance, which employed Courtney for a couple of weeks. The lawsuit was filed in 2006.
Greg Wilberger last month filed another lawsuit on behalf of his daughter’s estate against Liberty Mutual Insurance, the company that provided liability insurance for Creative Building Maintenance at the time the Brigham Young University student vanished from her summer maintenance job at the apartment complex.
Brooke Wilberger’s mother, Cammy Wilberger of Veneta, said Wednesday that both court actions were filed in part “to get more information” about Courtney and the circumstances of their daughter’s death. Brooke Wilberger’s body has not been found.
In their lawsuit against Creative Building Maintenance, the Wilbergers said the firm was negligent in hiring Courtney, a convicted sex offender, and for giving him the van that police say Courtney used to abduct their 19-year-old daughter. The Wilbergers also claimed that the company failed to properly supervise Courtney.
In the sworn statement filed in January, Creative Building Maintenance regional manager Jose Lomeli of Sacramento described how he hired Courtney as a Northwest supervisor for the business, which provided janitorial services to TJ Maxx, PetSmart and other retail chains.
Lomeli said he heard about Courtney in late April or early May 2004 from Jesus Ordaz, Courtney’s brother-in-law and a Creative Building Maintenance employee. At Ordaz’s suggestion, Lomeli said, he interviewed Courtney to deliver supplies and inspect the work of janitor crews, and to communicate with customers. The job involved traveling to stores in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, Lomeli said, and came with a company-issued minivan and cell phone.
Lomeli said he interviewed Courtney in Ordaz’s Portland home, where “I could see that Mr. Courtney had a wife and children. He appeared very well spoken, friendly and interested in the job. He had a valid driver’s license and Social Security card. He seemed very normal, and showed no strange behavior, no violent behavior, and no illegal behavior.”
Lomeli did not mention any criminal background check for Courtney, who served prison time for a 1985 felony sex abuse conviction and subsequent probation violation. Courtney also had been arrested in Lincoln County in January 2004 for drunken driving.
Lomeli said he hired Courtney May 5 and trained him for about one week, taking him to client stores and introducing him to store managers.
“On the training trip, we stayed at the same motel at night and were together each day for a week,” Lomeli said. “Mr. Courtney appeared very normal in all his interactions with me and our customers and crews. He appeared to drive normally, and did not show any violent behavior to anyone, did not use the van in any illegal way, and did not give any indication of being a violent person. None of the people he met, including store managers of our customers, ever said they were uncomfortable with Mr. Courtney.”
Soon after Courtney began traveling on his own, however, he began missing store appointments, Lomeli said.
“He could not be reached on the company cell phone and was not returning my messages to call (me),” Lomeli said. “I did not hear that he was acting in any sort of violent or criminal way, but did hear from store managers that he was not dependable. I decided to terminate Mr. Courtney and take the van and cell phone back.”
Lomeli said May 15, 2004, was “the last day of Mr. Courtney’s employment,” citing Courtney’s last submission of motel and gasoline receipts for reimbursement. When Courtney didn’t respond to 10 phone messages requesting return of the van and cell phone, Lomeli went to the Ordaz home to retrieve them.
“I saw the van in the driveway once, but no one answered the door to give me the keys,” he attested. “On my second visit, the van had disappeared.”
Two weeks later, Lomeli learned from Ordaz that Courtney had driven the van to New Mexico, where he had been living before taking the job. Lomeli sent Ordaz to New Mexico to retrieve the vehicle, which Ordaz used on company business until police seized it as evidence several months later. Benton County authorities say DNA evidence shows that Wilberger had been in the vehicle.
Witnesses in Corvallis re-ported seeing a green minivan near the Oak Park Apartments in Corvallis about the time of the abduction. One witness said it was a Dodge Caravan with Minnesota plates, the same as Courtney’s Creative Building Maintenance van.
Courtney, 42, is in Benton County jail, facing trial next February on murder and other charges in connection with Wilberger’s disappearance. He also has been charged with trying to kidnap and murder two female students at Oregon State University the same day Wilberger disappeared. A New Mexico circuit court judge in 2007 sentenced Courtney to 18 years in prison for the November 2004 kidnapping and sexual assault of a young woman there.
In their civil suit filed last month, the Wilbergers argued that Liberty Mutual should pay up to $1 million in damages for their daughter’s pain and suffering; for their loss of her “society, comfort and companionship,” and for the physical and mental pain she and her family suffered.
Liberty Mutual on Tuesday asked U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken to dismiss the suit, claimingthe Wilbergers cannotsue because they have not won a judgment against Creative Building Maintenance.


http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/9380166-41/story.csp

[sarahhod]

Courtney Attorneys Challenge Wilberger Indictment

April 15, 2009


CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- Defense attorneys for Joel Courtney have challenged the indictment that could lead to the death penalty if he is convicted of aggravated murder in the May 2004 disappearance of Brooke Wilberger.

The 19-year-old Brigham Young University sophomore from Oregon disappeared while she was working a summer job at an apartment complex in Corvallis managed by her sister.

No body has been found, but she is presumed dead.

Courtney's attorneys, Steven Krasik and Steven Gorham, filed a 347-page challenge to the indictment on March 30 in Benton County Circuit Court, claiming it did not meet all the requirements for the charges.

The Corvallis Gazette-Times reports that a reply is expected from District Attorney John Haroldson before pretrial hearings begin May 4.

http://kezi.com/news/local/107750

[Faith]

Witnesses: Courtney In Area Wilberger Vanished

POSTED: 5:17 pm PDT May 5, 2009
UPDATED: 5:41 pm PDT May 5, 2009




An OSU student testified Tuesday that she was approached by a woman's accused killer in a suspicious way on the day the woman went missing.

The student told the court that she walked away from Joel Courtney on the day he allegedly kidnapped and killed Brooke Wilberger near the campus.

Prosecutors said the young woman who testified Tuesday and another OSU student who spoke Monday are alleged victims of attempted murder, kidnapping and rape.

Courtney rarely looked at the woman on the witness stand, instead taking notes at the defense table.


The prosecutors called several witnesses Tuesday so the judge can determine what evidence may be used before the jury later, at Courtney's trial on charges of aggravated murder, rape and kidnapping.

The woman on the stand said she was walking from her apartment near the football stadium toward campus on the morning of May 24, 2004 -- the day Wilberger disappeared from another nearby apartment complex.

"He asked me for directions to the athletic offices," the alleged victim said. "I was nervous. I felt like I was in a situation."

She was talking on her cell phone to her mom, Phyllis Talley, when she was approached.

"She said, 'Mom, do not hang up this phone,'" Talley said. "She described directions twice, because it was as if whoever she was talking to was not understanding the directions."

Monday in court, another former student described a similar encounter with a man who looked like Joel Courtney.

So did a man who works for the OSU Athletic Department. That man said he saw a man in a green van talking to female students that day. When asked to describe the man, he pointed out Courtney as that person.

Investigators talked to the OSU employee, who testified that he recognized Courtney, and said he was able to describe Courtney in great detail.

"Months later, after we developed Courtney as a suspect and had his photograph, he was able to identify his photograph in a throw-down of mug shots," said DA's Investigator John Chilcote.

That is the kind of testimony and evidence prosecutors hope to present to the jury at Courtney's trial that is set for February. The evidentiary hearing should conclude next Tuesday when the D.A. said he'll call another woman who was victimized by Courtney in a sex crime.


http://www.kptv.com/sh/images/ibs_icon/mere/video.gifWitnesses: Courtney In Area Wilberger Vanished (http://www.kptv.com/video/19378539/index.html)

Previous Stories:

May 4, 2009: Previous Victims May Testify In Wilberger Case (http://www.kptv.com/news/19367166/detail.html)
May 4, 2009: Pretrial Hearing Held In Wilberger Case (http://www.kptv.com/news/19365572/detail.html)
April 9, 2008: Man Extradited To Stand Trial In Wilberger Slaying (http://www.kptv.com/news/15830281/detail.html)
January 24, 2008: Courtney To Return To Ore. To Stand Trial (http://www.kptv.com/news/15128714/detail.html)
January 17, 2008: Gov. Seeks Return Of Wilberger’s Accused Killer (http://www.kptv.com/news/15073760/detail.html)
December 12, 2007: Man Charged In Wilberger Case Sentenced In New Mexico (http://www.kptv.com/news/14830960/detail.html)
September 27, 2007: Crime On Campus: Wilberger Case Still On Minds Of OSU Students (http://www.kptv.com/news/14214699/detail.html)
May 17, 2007: Grand Jury Indicts Wilberger Slaying Suspect On More Charges (http://www.kptv.com/news/13338105/detail.html)


http://www.kptv.com/news/19378763/detail.html

[sarahhod]

Courtney pre-trial motions continue


Three witnesses testified Tuesday in the second day of pre-trial motion hearings for Joel Courtney.

Courtney, 42, faces 19 felony counts in the disappearance of 19-year-old Brooke Wilberger, who was last seen at a Corvallis apartment complex on May 24, 2004. Courtney is charged with kidnapping, raping and murdering her. Her body has not been found.

Tuesday’s first witness was a 26-year-old woman who testified that she encountered a man driving a green van on May 24, 2004 in the parking lot of Reser Stadium. She said she was talking on the phone with her mother at the time and stayed on the line while she gave the man directions.

The woman is one of two former OSU students named as victims in a case accusing Courtney of attempted kidnapping, rape and murder. The prosecution has moved to consolidate that case with the Wilberger case. The state also has made a motion to have Courtney’s “other acts,” including past convictions, introduced as evidence at trial.

On Monday, Bob Clifford, an associate athletic director for Oregon State University, had testified that he’d seen the young woman speaking with a man in a van. He thought the situation looked unusual, he said, so he drove up to the van and tried unsuccessfully to get the driver’s attention. He made a note of what the driver and the van looked like, which he later related to police.

The court recessed until next Tuesday. A few more witnesses are scheduled to testify before prosecutors and defense attorneys offer arguments to Judge Locke Williams on the motions.

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2009/05/05/news/community/6loc01_courtneypretrialmotions.txt

[sarahhod]

Courtney arraigned on assault charges

For the Democrat-Herald

CORVALLIS — Joel Courtney, facing murder charges in the disappearance of Brooke Wilberger, was arraigned Tuesday on new charges of second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, menacing and second-degree criminal mischief.

He is accused of throwing a fax machine at a jail psychiatrist on July 21. In addition to throwing the fax at Dr. Jon Sobotka, jail officials said, Courtney ripped a cord out of the machine and damaged his own medical records, as well as those of other inmates.

A grand jury indicted Courtney on the charges Monday.

Courtney, 43, is in custody at the Benton County jail as he awaits his trial in the disappearance of 19-year-old Wilberger from a Corvallis apartment complex in 2004.

Tuesday, Courtney appeared at his arraignment via closed-circuit television. Attorney Steven Krasik, who is defending Courtney in the Wilberger trial, appeared in court. His co-counsel, Steven Gorham, was at the jail with Courtney.

Krasik told Judge Janet Holcomb he and Gorham weren’t prepared to enter a plea for their client because they had just received some of the information in the case.

Holcomb set bail at $200,000 for the assault charges, but Courtney already is being held without bail on the aggravated murder charges related to the Wilberger case.

Although he was at the jail, Courtney was not wearing a jail jumpsuit or shackles. Judge Locke Williams, who is presiding over the Wilberger case, granted an order last fall to allow Courtney to wear street clothes and no restraints, so as not to prejudice potential jurors.

Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson asked that the court revisit the issue of security and restraints in light of the new charges.

Courtney’s next court appearance for the assault charges has not been scheduled yet.

http://www.democratherald.com/articles/2009/07/30/news/local/5loc06_courtney072909.txt

[Roenick]

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The remains of a 19-year-old student who disappeared more than five years ago have been found, and the man charged in her death pleaded guilty Monday. Brooke Wilberger (http://search.komonews.com/default.aspx?ct=r&q=%22Brooke+Wilberger%22) vanished in May 2004 while she was working for her sister outside an apartment complex near Oregon State University in Corvallis. Prosecutors charged 42-year-old Joel Patrick Courtney with aggravated murder, even though Wilberger's body had not been found.
On Monday, the Benton County District Attorney's Office said Courtney agreed to plead guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in exchange for providing information about where Wilberger's body was located. http://media.katu.com/images/070910_joel_courtney.jpg
It was not immediately clear where her body was found.
























http://www.katu.com/news/local/60012357.html

[Battnt]

Thanks for the update Roe....God bless Brookes family, at least now they can lay her to rest....:1222423:

[nanabillie]

http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_13387150

Remains of BYU student found 5 years after disappearance

The Associated Press

Updated: 09/21/2009 01:39:55 PM MDT



Click photo to enlarge http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site297/2009/0921/20090921__StudentBodyFound_0922~1_VIEWER.jpg (http://www.sltrib.com/portlet/article/html/render_gallery.jsp?articleId=13387150&siteId=297&startImage=1)



Authorities said Monday, Sept. 21, that the remains... (The Associated Press/courtesy of the family)

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site297/2009/0921/20090921__StudentBodyFound_0922~1_VIEWER.jpghttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site297/2009/0921/20090921__StudentBodyFound_0922~2_VIEWER.jpg
Corvallis, Ore. » Authorities say the remains of Brooke Wilberger have been found more than five years after the Brigham Young University student disappeared from an apartment complex in Corvallis.
District Attorney John Haroldson said Monday the suspect in the killing, Joel Courtney, accepted a plea deal in which he avoided a possible death sentence.
In exchange, Courtney told investigators the location of Wilberger's remains.
Haroldson said Courtney pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of release.

[Roenick]

Thanks for the update Roe....God bless Brookes family, at least now they can lay her to rest....:1222423:

I hated going down south and seeing the billboards of her still missing. No one should be missing that long...


I hope her family can find a bit of peace in this. Thoughts and Prayers to them all.

[Faith]

Brooke Wilberger's Remains Found

http://connect2utah.com/media/jpg/Brooke_Wilberger_s_Remains_Found_23.jpg

he remains of missing student Brooke Wilberger have reportedly been found. The Benton County Attorney released the following statement this afternoon:

On May 24, 2004, Brooke Wilberger was abducted by Joel Courtney who subsequently murdered her. Despite extensive efforts, Brooke Wilberger's remains were not recovered during the course of the criminal investigation. Joel Courtney was charged with the Aggravated Murder of Brooke Wilberger, and the case was set for trial beginning February 2010. During the interim, the Benton County District Attorney's Office engaged in efforts to resolve the case with an emphasis on justice, along with the recovery and return of Brooke Wilberger's remains to her family.

Throughout the past several weeks, the Benton County District Attorney participated in a series of settlement conferences aimed at reaching a resolution within these parameters. As a result, on September 21, 2009, following a change of venue to Marion County Circuit Court, Joel Patrick Courtney entered a plea of guilty to the charge of Aggravated Murder, and was sentenced to prison for life with no possibility of release. As a part of the plea agreement, the Benton County District Attorney was able to obtain information necessary to locate and recover Brooke Wilberger's remains. In response, a multi-agency investigative team initiated a search and subsequently located Brooke Wilberger's remains.

The resolution of this case and the recovery of Brooke Wilberger's remains would not have been possible without the support and collaborative efforts of Governor Ted Kulongoski, Attorney General John Kroger, and various federal, state and local agencies.

###

We'll bring you the very latest on this story on 2News at 5 and 6 p.m. and on connect2utah.com as more details emerge.

http://connect2utah.com/content/fulltext/?cid=52202

[Faith]

Another beautiful young life taken. Her parents can have some closure now. My prayers are with all that love her.

[Jute]

Another beautiful young life taken. Her parents can have some closure now. My prayers are with all that love her.

She was such a beautiful young woman, Faith - such a sweet face. :sad0119:

My prayers also go out to the family and friends who lost such a lovely young member of their lives.

[packy]

Now that she has been found may she rest in peace. My prayers for her family and friends who suffer the loss of someone they loved dearly.

[sunstar]

:1222423: Finally, you may Rest in Peace, Brooke :1222423:

[CSAFD]

Man Admits Killing BYU Student, Directs Police to Body 5 Years Later
Monday, September 21, 2009

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Five years after college student Brooke Wilberger disappeared, a man arrested in her abduction pleaded guilty to murder and pointed police to the spot near the rugged Oregon coast where he had dumped her body.

Defendant Joel Courtney, 43, avoided a possible death sentence by pleading guilty Monday to aggravated murder after revealing the location of Wilberger's remains.

The developments ended one of the most publicized murder investigations in Oregon history and brought long overdue relief to the family of the 19-year-old victim.

"It might be hard for you to understand, but at this time we really feel gratitude, even to Mr. Courtney," said Cammy Wilberger, the mother of the teenager.

Courtney was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after entering the plea in Marion County Circuit Court in Salem.

Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson made the surprise announcement in the case of the Brigham Young University sophomore who vanished in May 2004 from an apartment building near the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis.

"He abducted her, he raped her, he murdered her and left her body in the woods," Haroldson said.

The prosecutor once vowed to seek the death penalty in the case, but Wilberger's family said they would support a plea deal if Courtney would reveal the location of her remains.

"Our family has kind of likened this to an iceberg experience," Cammy Wilberger said. "Although what the public sees seems raised and maybe devastating, it's nothing compared to what we see on the inside."

Police found strands of Wilberger's hair among evidence collected from Courtney's van when he was arrested in November 2004 in the rape of another student in New Mexico.

He was eventually convicted in that case and extradited to Oregon to stand trial for the killing of Wilberger. But it wasn't until last weekend that Courtney admitted the crime and revealed the location of the body.

Wilberger disappeared from an apartment complex managed by her sister. Before she was kidnapped, she had been scrubbing lampposts outside the apartment building. Her flip-flop sandals were left behind.

Haroldson said Courtney has admitted approaching two other young women in Corvallis before abducting Wilberger. Those two women became alarmed and were able to avoid abduction.

Courtney approached Wilberger, trying to make it appear he was delivering an envelope, then threatened her with a knife and forced her into the van, Haroldson said.

Courtney bound her with duct tape and drove into the remote Coast Range but returned to Corvallis when he got hungry, with Wilberger in his van.

He went back to a remote spot in the mountains and raped her, and when she tried to fight him off, Courtney killed her by bludgeoning her skull, Haroldson said.

Courtney's sister told investigators Courtney began using drugs at age 11, developed an interest in Satanism by the age of 15, and once had to be hit over the head with a clock to prevent him from raping her.

He served time in jail in Oregon for a 1991 sex abuse conviction in Washington County, where he grew up.

Courtney grew up in the Portland area before moving to Alaska, Florida and New Mexico, working at times as a fisherman, mechanic and janitor.

He eventually married and settled in Rio Rancho, N.M., an Albuquerque suburb.

As part of the plea deal, Courtney will be returned to New Mexico to serve the remainder of his 18-year sentence there before being returned to Oregon to serve the life sentence.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,553320,00.html

[CSAFD]

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The remains of Brooke Wilberger, who was abducted and killed in May 2004, have been found, police announced Monday.

Wilberger's remains are on a mountain in Benton County on private property, said Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson in a press conference Monday in Corvallis.

The recovery of those remains began over the weekend. The exact location will not be released until the process is complete, Haroldson said.

Joel Courtney, who was charged in Wilberger's death, accepted a plea deal in which he averted a possible death sentence, Haroldson said. In exchange, Courtney told investigators the exact location of Wilberger's remains.


Wilberger was a 19-year-old Brigham Young University student at the time of her disappearance.

On May 24, 2004, she vanished while working a summer job at an apartment complex managed by her sister in Corvallis near the Oregon State University campus.

Courtney first approached another student, but she got away. He continued to drive and saw Wilberger.

Courtney told investigators he was driving the van that pulled into the parking lot where Wilberger was working, Haroldson said.

He pulled the van around in a U-turn in order to block the view of her, Haroldson said.

Courtney exited the van with a FedEx envelope and acted as though he was going to deliver it. He then used a knife to abduct Wilberger, who began screaming, and shoved her into the van, Haroldson said.

Her shoes were left behind, Haroldson said.

Once in the van, Courtney drove a short distance and bound her with duct tape – similar to an abduction Courtney previously committed in New Mexico, Haroldson said. He then drove Wilberger deep into the woods in Benton County.

Over the following hours, Courtney drove to town to get food with Wilberger bound in the van. Courtney said he slept in the van while Wilberger was still alive, Haroldson said.

Courtney raped Wilberger the next morning. Courtney said he was "surprised by how much she fought back" to the sexual assault, Haroldson said.

That's when Courtney killed Wilberger by bludgeoning her skull, Haroldson said.

Haroldson said a watch, which was a gift from Wilberger's mother, and dental records identified the remains.

Courtney became a suspect in the case when his van was identified in the disappearance and Wilberger's DNA was later discovered inside it.

Prosecutors said Wilberger was not the first woman Courtney had kidnapped and raped.

In 2004, Courtney was awaiting trial in the sexual assault and kidnapping of a foreign exchange student in New Mexico.

That victim managed to escape.

The district attorney's office then indicted Courtney in connection with the crimes against Wilberger. He was extradited to Oregon in 2008 to face charges in her death.

Prosecutors originally said they would seek the death penalty in the case, which was set to go to trial in February 2010, but Wilberger's parents said earlier this year they would be open to accepting a deal in the trial if the location of their daughter's remains was revealed.

After Courtney shared the location of Wilberger's remains, a multi-agency investigative team launched a search and subsequently discovered them.

Courtney pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of release. Courtney is being transported to New Mexico where he will start serving an 18-year prison sentence for the kidnapping and rape case there.

In addition to the Wilberger and New Mexico cases, Courtney was convicted of sex abuse in 1985 in Washington County.

Cami Wilberger, the victim's mother, said her family is grateful to have to closure.

"Thank you for being so supportive over the last five and a half years. It's been a long haul for all of us, but today we are grateful," Cami Wilberger said. "At this time, we really feel gratitude, even to Mr. Courtney, who could see fit to tell us where he left Brooke. What happens to him, we are thankful that justice was served."

May 24, 2004: Brooke Wilberger was abducted from an apartment complex in Corvallis.
May 24, 2004: Wilberger was tied up by Courtney and taken to a wooded area in Benton County, where she was raped and killed.
Nov. 29, 2004: Joel Courtney was involved in a sexual assault and kidnapping of a female student near the campus of the University of New Mexico.
Nov. 30, 2004: Courtney was arrested in the New Mexico assault. He was indicted less than two weeks later.
July 29, 2005: Courtney was indicted in connection with the crimes against Wilberger in Oregon.
Sept. 11, 2007: A deal was reached in the New Mexico case and Courtney pleaded guilty to the crimes in New Mexico. Three months later, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
April 4, 2008: A New Mexico judge remanded Courtney to the state of Oregon. Four days later, he was brought to Oregon to stand trial.
July 3, 2008: Wilberger's parents said they would be open to accepting a deal in their daughter's kidnapping and slaying, if the location of her remains was revealed.
May 5, 2009: An Oregon State student testified that she was approached by Courtney in a suspicious way on the day Wilberger disappeared.
July 7, 2009: A judge grants a change of venue in the case against Courtney.
Sept. 21, 2009: Courtney tells police the location of Wilberger's remains. In exchange, he avoids the death penalty in the case.

http://www.kptv.com/news/21041424/detail.html

[Roamer]

http://www.kptv.com/news/21041424/detail.html

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The remains of Brooke Wilberger, who was abducted and killed in May 2004, have been found, police announced Monday.


Wilberger's remains are on a mountain in Benton County on private property, said Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson in a press conference Monday in Corvallis.


The recovery of those remains began over the weekend. The exact location will not be released until the process is complete, Haroldson said.


Joel Courtney, who was charged in Wilberger's death, accepted a plea deal in which he averted a possible death sentence, Haroldson said. In exchange, Courtney told investigators the exact location of Wilberger's remains.



Wilberger was a 19-year-old Brigham Young University student at the time of her disappearance.


On May 24, 2004, she vanished while working a summer job at an apartment complex managed by her sister in Corvallis near the Oregon State University campus.


Courtney first approached another student, but she got away. He continued to drive and saw Wilberger.


Courtney told investigators he was driving the van that pulled into the parking lot where Wilberger was working, Haroldson said.


He pulled the van around in a U-turn in order to block the view of her, Haroldson said.


Courtney exited the van with a FedEx envelope and acted as though he was going to deliver it. He then used a knife to abduct Wilberger, who began screaming, and shoved her into the van, Haroldson said.

Her shoes were left behind, Haroldson said.


Once in the van, Courtney drove a short distance and bound her with duct tape – similar to an abduction Courtney previously committed in New Mexico, Haroldson said. He then drove Wilberger deep into the woods in Benton County.


Over the following hours, Courtney drove to town to get food with Wilberger bound in the van. Courtney said he slept in the van while Wilberger was still alive, Haroldson said.


Courtney raped Wilberger the next morning. Courtney said he was "surprised by how much she fought back" to the sexual assault, Haroldson said.


That's when Courtney killed Wilberger by bludgeoning her skull, Haroldson said.


Haroldson said a watch, which was a gift from Wilberger's mother, and dental records identified the remains.


Courtney became a suspect in the case when his van was identified in the disappearance and Wilberger's DNA was later discovered inside it.


Prosecutors said Wilberger was not the first woman Courtney had kidnapped and raped.


In 2004, Courtney was awaiting trial in the sexual assault and kidnapping of a foreign exchange student in New Mexico.


That victim managed to escape.


The district attorney's office then indicted Courtney in connection with the crimes against Wilberger. He was extradited to Oregon in 2008 to face charges in her death.


Prosecutors originally said they would seek the death penalty in the case, which was set to go to trial in February 2010, but Wilberger's parents said earlier this year they would be open to accepting a deal in the trial if the location of their daughter's remains was revealed.


After Courtney shared the location of Wilberger's remains, a multi-agency investigative team launched a search and subsequently discovered them.

Courtney pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of release. Courtney is being transported to New Mexico where he will start serving an 18-year prison sentence for the kidnapping and rape case there.


In addition to the Wilberger and New Mexico cases, Courtney was convicted of sex abuse in 1985 in Washington County.


Cami Wilberger, the victim's mother, said her family is grateful to have to closure.


"Thank you for being so supportive over the last five and a half years. It's been a long haul for all of us, but today we are grateful," Cami Wilberger said. "At this time, we really feel gratitude, even to Mr. Courtney, who could see fit to tell us where he left Brooke. What happens to him, we are thankful that justice was served."

[Roenick]

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/07/wilbergers_family_says_it_woul.html

CORVALLIS -- The parents of Brooke Wilberger have signaled they would support a plea deal should the man accused of abducting and murdering their daughter four years ago reveal the whereabouts of her remains.

That came in a statement Benton County District Attorney John Heraldson released yesterday on the family's behalf.
The suspect, Joel Courtney, is being held without bail in Benton County. A trial is not expected to begin before 2010.
At age 19, Brooke Wilberger disappeared on May 24, 2004 from a Corvallis apartment building parking lot. She is presumed to be dead.
The prosecutor has vowed to seek the death penalty.
"We remain committed to the recovery of Brooke's remains, and fully support the Benton County District Attorney's efforts to do so within a reasonable period of time," read the statement from Greg and Cammy Wilberger.
"In a criminal case, there can be a fully contested trial, and there can be a negotiated resolution," the statement said. "We completely support the Benton County District Attorney's Office in their approach to the case, whether through trial or a timely negotiated resolution."

Haroldson said he had not asked for the statement nor advised the family about it. He released it to two Oregon newspapers, the Gazette-Times in Corvallis and the Register-Guard in Eugene, near the Wilbergers' home in Veneta.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/07/medium_Courtney.JPGJoel Courtney
He said it was a response to numerous requests from reporters for comment after the 42-year-old Courtney was extradited from New Mexico in April. That followed his conviction on charges of kidnapping and raping a Russian foreign exchange student. Brooke Wilberger was in Corvallis helping at the apartment complex her sister managed. She was on summer break after completing her freshman year at Brigham Young University.

[Roenick]

Report: Joel Courtney had long history of sexual assault

By Noelle Crombie, The Oregonian (http://connect.oregonlive.com/user/ncrombie/index.html)

September 22, 2009, 6:36AM

Brooke Wilberger's killer, Joel Courtney, started using drugs at age 11 and tried to rape his sister when she was 14, this morning's Corvallis Gazette Times reports (http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/article_87c45ea4-a729-11de-bfd2-001cc4c03286.html).

One of Courtney's sisters told investigators that she had to strike her brother in the head with a clock to stop him from attacking her, the paper reports.

She also said her brother became interested in Satanism as a teen.
A cousin of Courtney's told investigators of four separate times during her youth that Courtney had tried to sexually assault her. The incidents happened when she was 12 to 17 years old and Courtney was between 14 and 19 years old.
Once, in about 1983, she woke to find Courtney, naked, straddling her. He left when someone walked down the hall.
A year or two later, she was at her grandparents' home in Burbank, Calif., when she woke up to find Courtney touching her breasts. Several years after that, she was asleep at the home of Courtney's sister, and he started to unbutton her blouse. She was too afraid of Courtney to tell anyone what he'd done.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/report_joel_courtney_had_long.html

[Amusedtdth]

What a sick POS.....attacking like that, family no less.....people like this cannot imo be rehabilitated........LWOP!

[Naia]

OMG I hadn't heard that Brookes remains had been found. Rest forever in peace Brooke.
Prayers for Brookes family during this time.



May her killer suffer for all eternity.

[Audie]

Vanished: Two Coeds, Two Horrifying Mysteries, One Finally Solved
Brooke Wilberger's Remains Found, Perpetrator Behind Bars; But What About Maura Murray?

By DONNA HUNTER
Sept. 21, 2009

http://www.abcnews.go.com/2020/vanished-brooke-wilbergers-remains-found-coed-case/Story?id=8634304&page=1

[sarahhod]

Wilberger Family Supporters Gather At Event

POSTED: 10:13 am PDT October 12, 2009
UPDATED: 10:38 am PDT October 12, 2009

Video


Wilberger Family Supporters Gather In Corvallis (http://www.helpfindthemissing.org/video/21270704/)


CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Police, volunteers and other community members gathered in Corvallis on Sunday to pay tribute to the life of Brooke Wilberger and to thank the people involved in the resolution of the case.
Wilberger was a 19-year-old college student when she was abducted and killed in 2004 by Joel Courtney. Last month, Courtney finally revealed the location of Wilberger's remains.
Oregon State University welcomed dozens of people to the appreciation event Sunday at the LaSells Stewart Center. Many of the people who attended Sunday's appreciation event said they did not know Wilberger personally, but that it seemed like they did.
"It felt like when one of your own goes missing," said Shawna Cox, a supporter of the family.
Rev. John Dennis, another family supporter, said the show of support is something they have come to expect from their town.
"This is Corvallis. This is what makes Corvallis a very special community," Dennis said.
Many people spoke of the strength of Wilberger's family and marveled at how they stayed positive in the darkest times of the case.
Wilberger's disappearance five years ago affected hundreds of people, many of them volunteers who searched for the teenager.
"Everybody wants to thank everybody else. But because Brooke is gone, nobody wants to accept thanks," Dennis said.
The theme of the event addressed what Wilberger means to the Corvallis community.
While some saw the event as a chance for closure, others said they will never be able to forget.
"I'll never forget," said Chris Gerding, a family friend. "It's going to be one of those things."
"We're not ever going to get complete closure in this because Brooke is lost," Dennis said.
Courtney is serving a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. He avoided the death penalty by telling investigators where he left Wilberger's body.

http://www.kptv.com/news/21272898/detail.html

[CSAFD]

R.I.P. Brooke

[CSAFD]

you know what this case reminds me of?..............Dru Sjodin, even tho Dru wasnt missing for 5 years she was missing for 5 MONTHS before her body was found in a Ravine in Crookston, Mn. where a RELEASED sex offender had left her to the elements after he had kinapped Dru from the Columbia Mall in GF. North Dakota. he then raped, beat, strangled and cut her throat. R.I.P. Dru and Brooke.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v63/Maverick1862/Dru%20Sjodin/Dru1.jpg
Dru Sjodin 2003

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v63/Maverick1862/murder%20victims/BrookeWilberger-1.jpg
Brooke Wilberger 2004

[Dellia]

Hi ya'll. Been reading here awhile about missing people.
I followed Brooke Wilberger's disapperance closely. That was the same year my youngest neice went off to college.