Gabriel Triplett [FOUND DECEASED] Rainier, WA

[wheezer]

Family seeks missing man

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m196/wheezer5695/10138388.jpg
Gabriel Triplett


A Rainier-area man has been missing for a week and his family is asking for the public's help to find him.

Gabriel Triplett, 23, is 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8 and about 160 pounds, said his mother, Alice Triplett, who lives in the Goble area near Rainier. He has blue eyes, his hair is dark brown and he may have facial hair because his beard grows quickly, she said.

"He would be walking with a funny little gait; his right side still has a bit of a limp to it," she said.

The limp is from a 2003 vehicle crash in which he suffered a brain injury and his sister, Lola, was killed.

The accident affected his ability to retain information, and he sometimes behaves erratically, his mother said.

"He'd get these weird ideas, like he needs to go on a three-day fast or needs to be out in the woods," she said. "But 24 hours is all he could handle not being around people."

She initially thought he had gone to his grandfather's and didn't realize he was missing until Tuesday. She said he didn't take any clothes, food, money or identification, only a medium-size backpack that might hold a blanket.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office has searched in all the places he has gone in the past, such as Goble Falls, she said.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Gabe Triplett can call the Columbia County Sheriff's Office at (503) 366-4611.

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/04/area_news/10138388.txt

[Roamer]

I hope they're doing a search party thing. Sounds like he might have lost his way home.

[KittyMom]

This is so sad. I hope he is found soon.

I really think that people who aren't able to reason (for whatever reason) should wear a bracklet with a GPS tracking device. Think of all the elderly and those with brain injury that could benefit.

[dojewo]

This is so sad. I hope he is found soon.

I really think that people who aren't able to reason (for whatever reason) should wear a bracklet with a GPS tracking device. Think of all the elderly and those with brain injury that could benefit.This would be a great idea KittyMom. I'm worried about this young man, it sounds like he can't be left alone for to long.

[wheezer]

RAINIER --- Search parties will meet at 9 a.m. today and again at 2 p.m. to search for Gabriel Triplett, 23, of Goble, who has been missing more than a week.

Teams will meet at Riverside Church, 305 Third St. W., Rainier. For more information, call (360) 430-1139.

Beaver Homes Grange is printing and distributing fliers with his photo.

Triplett is 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8 and about 160 pounds, with blue eyes and dark brown hair. He may have facial hair because his beard grows quickly. He didn't take a coat, food, water, his wallet or a bicycle.

His mother, Alice Triplett, last saw him on Feb. 25. She said it is not unusual for him to spend the night in the woods, but he has always returned after 24 hours.

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/06/breaking_news/doc47cfff1b22a1d982491911.txt

[wheezer]

RAINIER - Volunteers have been vainly combing the Goble woods for Gabriel Triplett, but they're not ready to give up.

"We're going to search every day until we hear something," said Gared Wold, 35, of Rainier, who led small search parties Thursday and planned to go out again today.

"We haven't turned up any new leads or anything of that nature, but we've definitely covered some area," he said. "We're confident we've covered it well enough to move on to a new area."

His teams have searched the Goble Falls area, where Triplett sometimes went to meditate; the property surrounding the Tripletts' home in Goble; and Neer City Cemetery, where Triplett's sister, Lola, is buried.

Thursday afternoon Wold planned to search Trojan Park and the roadside from Triplett's home down to Highway 30.

Triplett, 23, was last seen Feb. 25 at his home in Goble. His mother, Alice Triplett, didn't realize he was missing until the next day. She said it isn't unusual for her son to spend the night in the woods to fast and meditate, but it's not in character for him to be gone more than 24 hours.

Rainier resident Marie Botchie spent four or five hours Monday searching with her German shepherd, Iris, who has been in training for search and rescue but hasn't been certified. (She and her husband, Mike, weren't available to search Thursday.)

"Ryan (an employee of theirs) and I searched from their home all the way up Beaver Homes Road," Marie Botchie said. "We went up Nicolai Road. We went past where the accident was (where Lola Triplett died in 2003) and went almost to Goble Falls. We really tried to stay down into the ravine area where the creek was."

She said they thought he might have fallen into a ravine and couldn't get out.

Meanwhile, Mike Botchie and his daughter took their four-wheeler up Marcott Road, which ends at Longview Fibre land.

"We found tracks, footprints, a fresh sandwich bag and fresh candy wrappers," Mike Botchie said. "We followed that trail two miles up until we hit the main logging road," where the road becomes pure rock and the trail disappeared.

"There's so many roads and spurs off of that, we had no idea which way to go," he said. "We went another four miles on the main logging road all the way to Walker Road and saw no fresh sign of somebody being on there."

He also checked at Goble Landing, where a clerk remembered Triplett buying snacks with a debit card. The clerk was going to search through receipts to determine what day that was, he said.

The Botchies turned all their information over to a receptionist at the sheriff's office. They haven't been able to speak directly with a deputy. They'd like to find out why the sheriff's office isn't taking advantage of Vernonia's tracking dog, Krueger.

His handler, Sgt. Mike Kay, is a friend of theirs. The Vernonia Police Department's Web site said Krueger has assisted with many investigations around the county.

Alice Triplett said Kay was ready to take Krueger out Monday but he can't work the case on his own volition; the sheriff's office has to request him. She's been pressuring them to ask for Kay, but they haven't returned her calls.

The sheriff's office has not returned Daily News calls about this case since Monday. However, a receptionist there told a reporter that a search was planned for this weekend.

Your help is needed:

To volunteer to assist Gared Wold with searches, call (360) 430-1139.

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/07/area_news/10145358.txt

[wheezer]

RAINIER, Ore. -- Columbia County sheriff’s deputies, friends and family are all searching for a man who went missing in the Goble area near Rainier on Feb. 25.

Gabriel Triplett’s mother initially thought he had gone to his grandfather's home and didn't realize he was missing until Feb. 26.

The 23-year-old is between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall and about 160 pounds with dark brown hair and blue eyes.

Triplett was involved in a car crash that inflicted him with a limp and caused brain damage, which affects the way he speaks.

Anyone with information about Gabriel Triplett’s whereabouts can call the Columbia County Sheriff's Office at 503-366-4611.

http://www.kptv.com/news/15528946/detail.html

[wheezer]

The mother of Gabriel Triplett, a Rainier-area man who was last seen Feb. 25, is growing more and more worried that he won't be found safe.

"My gut feeling is not good," Alice Triplett said Tuesday.

She said Columbia County sheriff's deputies have hardly received any tips, and the ones they did get mention a bicycle - but he didn't take any of the bikes with him. She thinks the callers may have seen her son on an earlier date.

She asked the sheriff's office to bring in search dogs. The Daily News was unable to learn Tuesday when a search might take place.

Triplett last saw her son, 23, the morning of Feb. 25 at their home in Goble. He was gone when she came home later that day, but she wasn't concerned at the time because she thought he had walked to his grandfather's. The next morning, she learned he hadn't been there.

It's not unusual for him to spend the night in the woods to meditate, but he always has come home the next day, his mother said.

"I know my kid," she said. "My gut feeling is, after that second day .. this was not typical of Gabriel."

She's worried he may have injured himself or eaten something poisonous.

Triplett is trying to keep up hope, but said there are times when she breaks down.

"I have moments when it feels like nothing worse could happen to me," she said.

She lost her daughter, Lola, in an accident in 2003 in which Gabriel was driving. He suffered a traumatic head injury that affected his memory, and he had to relearn to walk and talk.

"He was in emotional pain," she said tearfully. "In some ways, he died four years ago."

She said, "You always hope, but at the same time, I just can't ... this is not typical. This is not Gabe."

Triplett, 23. is 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8 and about 160 pounds, with blue eyes and dark brown hair. He may have facial hair because his beard grows quickly. He didn't take a coat, food, water, his wallet or a bicycle. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts should call the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, (503) 366-4611.

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/05/area_news/10138339.txt

[wheezer]

Officials and volunteers searching for Goble resident Gabriel Triplett got some good news Friday - but still need help finding the 23-year-old.

A neighbor of Triplett's saw him in Longview on Wednesday but didn't know he was missing at the time and didn't notify anyone until Friday when she learned of the search. Triplett's mother hasn't seen him since Feb. 25.

Triplett suffered a brain injury in a 2003 accident which still affects his memory. His family is worried he has wandered off and is confused or doesn't realize anyone is looking for him.

Volunteer search crews have been scouring several areas in the Rainier and Goble area looking for Triplett and were thrilled Friday when they learned he had been spotted recently, said Gared Wold, who organized the volunteer searches. They spent Friday afternoon passing out fliers about Triplett in Longview and contacting local police to let them know he's believed to be in the Longview/Kelso area.

The family friend said she saw Triplett pumping air into a bicycle tire at the Arco gas station at the intersection of 15th Avenue and Tennant Way, Wold said. Another person has mentioned seeing Triplett near the Burgerville in Kelso, but that identification has not been confirmed. The Columbia County Sheriff's office is following up on both cases.

"It's very happy, very positive news for us," Wold said Friday afternoon. "And we're going to keep searching whether it's on this side of the river or the other."

Triplett's mother was elated at the news Friday night and said the neighbor told her her son was mad at family and camping out. It's unusual for him to be gone this long, but Alice Triplett said she's just happy to hear he's OK after fearing the worst in the past few days.

She also said she wants to thank all the volunteers who continue searching for her son, adding she's sure he'll be overwhelmed at all the attention he's generated.

Also getting in on the search is the Columbia County Sheriff's office, which plans to conduct a search in Goble on foot and horseback this morning. The search was scheduled to continue as a precaution even though Triplett had been spotted in Washington, Undersheriff Gerry Simmons said Friday afternoon.

While family friends have questioned why the sheriff's office didn't conduct a large-scale search sooner or call in tracking dogs, Simmons said they've been hampered with a delay in reporting and no concrete leads. In addition, searches for missing adults are always tricky because its unclear whether they're truly missing or just left town without telling their family, Simmons said.

While Triplett was last seen Feb. 25, his mother didn't contact the sheriff's office until three days later, Simmons said. By then, the trail for any dog searches had long run cold, according to dog handlers he consulted, Simmons said.

Sheriff's deputies did do a preliminary search when first contacted and found nothing. Then, a number of tips came in saying he'd been seen elsewhere, which left authorities with no idea where to search, Simmons said. It's also easier to get together search parties on the weekend, he added.

Today, they plan to search eight acres around Triplett's home and another near the fish ladder on Bishop Creek, which Triplett was known to visit. It's possible the search will continue Sunday, but will depend on Saturday's results, Simmons said.

As for Wold, he and the other volunteers plan to keep searching until they find Triplett, he said Friday.

"We just need to make contact with him," Wold said. "We don't know what state of mind he's in or whether or not he's confused or knows what he's doing or even knows if people are looking for him. ... If it's an issue of him not wanting to communicate with family we can't force that, but we need to see him and talk to him and make sure he's OK."

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/09/area_news/10147305.txt

[dojewo]

I"m glad to hear someone spotted him, I hope it won't be long before Gabriel is found.

[Grande]

Good to hear!

[wheezer]

A probable sighting of Gabriel Triplett led Columbia County Sheriff's deputies on another search Sunday, but the missing Goble man continues to elude searchers.

The new sighting raises the possibility Triplett is being sheltered by local residents, said Columbia County Undersheriff Gerry Simmons.

Triplett injured his head in a 2003 accident, and it's unclear if he understands what he's doing or that people are looking for him.

"Somebody saw him walking down one of the roads in the Goble area, or thought they did," Simmons said Wednesday. "We checked it out and were unable to find him."

Simmons said Sunday's Triplett sighting was "off of Bishop Road, near the creek," where a passerby was "very, very sure it was him walking down the road, picking up cans and bottles."

Simmons sent a deputy to the area, who found a bag of cans and bottles. The deputy had to respond to another call, but returned 45 minutes later to find the bag gone and "a trail from where the cans were that led down into the woods."

"I got a (human) tracker from the (volunteer search) posse to respond, and we went out and we started a track down into the woods," Simmons said. "After a period of time that we were down there tracking, some passersby said that they had seen him earlier in the week a couple of different times and he was picking up cans at the time, and these people felt that he was in the neighborhood and people were probably taking care of him."

At that point, the search was called off.

"There were plenty of people that had tromped the area, and it was difficult to follow a specific track through that area," Simmons explained. "And with the information that he was safe and that people were possibly sheltering him, we decided that wouldn't benefit us to continue the search any further."

Triplett's mother, Alice Triplett, said she is concerned about her son's health but knows that as an adult, it's his right not to be found.

"If he knew what was going on I think he would come forward, and that might satisfy his desire for attention," she said. "My concern is whether he's eating properly or such."

"It sounds like ... he was probably wearing the same clothes he was wearing two weeks ago, and they were wet and dirty."

The search is being run by the Columbia County Sheriff's office in St. Helens, though there has been a confirmed sighting in Longview.

Columbia County Sheriff's candidate Jeff Dickerson issued a press release Tuesday criticizing the search-and-rescue mission organized by the Columbia County Sheriff's office, which Dickerson said was not guided by "solid principles."

"The bottom line is that we have to do a better job at responding to these incidents in an expeditious manner," Dickerson's press release stated.

Alice Triplett said the Sunday search was "kind of a joke."

"The search they did this last weekend, that was it, and they concentrated on the three areas in Oregon that they thought he might be in," she said. "Well, those areas had been searched very thoroughly by volunteers."

Simmons said he's "absolutely" confident his office is doing everything it can to find the missing man. He pointed out that Alice Triplett knew her son was missing Tuesday, Feb. 26 but didn't report it until Thursday, Feb. 28.

Alice Triplett has said in the past that it was not unusual for Gabriel Triplett to spend a night in the woods.

"We did respond in a prompt manner and we did what we could do with the information that we had," Simmons said.

"My guess is he's probably in with the homeless people or transients," Alice Triplett said.

Triplett is 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds, with blue eyes and dark brown hair, and probably has a beard and scraggly appearance. Anyone who has spotted him should call the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, (503) 366-4611, local police or volunteer search coordinator Gared Wold at (360) 430-1139.

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/13/area_news/10154573.txt

[packy]

Seems like he may be nearby. If he was seen in what appeared to be the same clothes that would seem like he is out there somewhere camping or with the homeless, but why can't they find a campsite or place where they congregate I wonder.

[dojewo]

I wonder if they will try tracking him using scent dogs?

[KittyMom]

Wouldn't you think that these folks would be watching the news and realize that the guy they're helping has a head injury that may be interfering with his ability to think clearly? :eyebrow1qb:

[wheezer]

The search for Gabriel Triplett, a Rainier-area man who was last seen Feb. 25, still is open, his mother said Thursday.

“People keep asking about him,” Alice Triplett said. “I wish there was something I could say.”

She said her son, 23, might be using a different name.

“Once he worked at a job and had everybody call him Earl,” his middle name, she said.

He also has expressed interest in legally changing his surname to Todd, which is her maiden name, she said.

He often behaves impulsively or erratically since his head wound in 2003, she said. The accident also affected his memory.

Volunteer searchers and Columbia County sheriff’s deputies have combed the Goble area. Fliers are posted around Kelso and Longview, where there was a confirmed sighting of Triplett on March 5. A neighbor who didn’t realize he was missing saw him and spoke with him. There have been no other confirmed sightings.

“When they had that positive sighting, I had that relief knowing he’s alive, but I still don’t know any more than that,” Alice Triplett said.

Can you help?

Gabriel Triplett is 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8 and about 160 pounds, with blue eyes, dark brown hair and possibly a full beard. He walks with a bit of a limp in his right leg. Anyone who sees him should notify the law enforcement agency in their jurisdiction. To volunteer to help with a search, call Gared Wold at (360) 430-1139.

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/21/area_news/doc47e3596270b5a357891163.txt

[wheezer]

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office recovered a body Saturday from Goble Falls, an area that was searched several times during the hunt for Gabriel Triplett, his mother said today.

There is no public information officer working for the sheriff’s office on Sundays, so The Daily News was unable to learn any official details. The newspaper was also unable to reach anyone from the state medical examiner’s office, which handles death cases in Columbia County.



However, Triplett’s mother, Alice Triplett, said a deputy came to her Goble home last night and told her an identification would be made Monday.



At this point, she does not know if the body belongs to her 23-year-old son, Gabe, whom she last saw on Feb. 25.

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/04/13/breaking_news/doc48026ae638350552536364.txt

[packy]

How sad to have to wait. My heart goes out to the family.

[Grande]

My condolences to Gabriel's friends and family. May he rest in peace :1222423:

[dojewo]

This is probably the worst 24 hours for Alice and family. To know someone was found and still not know if it's Gabriel. :1222423:

[Faith]

The wait has to be horrendous. My prayers to the family.:1222423:

[Faith]

Body of missing man found near Goble Falls identified

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/M_IMAGE.1185a805c34.93.88.fa.d0.3011b427.jpg

05:03 PM PDT on Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Investigators identified the body of a missing Goble man whose body was found in the Columbia County wilderness Saturday.

Gabe Triplett hadn’t been seen since February 25.

His body was found near Goble Falls Saturday and later identified by a medical examiner.

His family said sometimes Triplett would meditate in the woods nearby, but it was unlike him to be gone for more than 24 hours.

Four years ago, Triplett suffered severe head injuries in a car crash that killed his sister. The family said he’s experienced mental health issues since then.
http://www.kgw.com (http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_041508_news_goble_body_found.69954787.html)


:1222423::1222423: My prayers are with the family.

[Pauli]

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[ferretplay]

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[packy]

My condolences to the family and friends. :1222423:

[KittyMom]

:1222423:

Bless his family.


I wonder if he had some type of stroke or something?

[wheezer]

The body recovered Saturday from Goble Creek has been positively identified through dental records as Gabriel Triplett, Lt. Gerry Simmons of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday.

Triplett, 23, of Rainier was reported as a missing person Feb. 28.

The Oregon medical examiner found no sign of trauma in an autopsy performed Monday, Simmons said. A complete report from the medical examiner will be available in about three weeks.

For more on this story, see Wednesday’s edition of The Daily News.

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/04/15/breaking_news/doc4805423fca444493680980.txt

[wheezer]

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