The lead prosecutor has a formidable memory and kept meticulous notes that were part of the case file. . This time, the DA and the cops who believed Ackroyd had gotten away with Kaye Turners killing were determined to get the highway worker off the street for good. A doctor identified bruising on her back, legs and knee. These are important stories to be told, he wrote. The highway worker had hurt Rachanda, stuffed her into a garbage bag and hauled her away, Linn County Sheriffs Detective Jim Salsbery said during one of their interviews. But Ackroyd was already serving a life sentence. Beautiful scenery but what this man did was not beautiful in any sense. During his school years, he was a loner who was bullied. No, the bewildered dispatcher said, thats not true, not with children. Acclaimed biographer Peter Ackroyd vibrantly resurrects the legendary epic of Camelot in this modern adaptation The names of Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, Guinevere, Galahad, the sword of Excalibur, and the court of Camelot are as recognizable as any from the world of myth. They tracked down Marlene Gabrielsen, who easily could have been the killers first victim but managed to escape after Ackroyd brutally raped her in 1977. Why did you go to this trouble? This time Ackroyds lawyer responded. John Arthur Ackroyd was a longtime state highway mechanic whose route along U.S. 20 wound through some of Oregon's most spectacular scenery from the Cascade foothills to the coast. Great verb choice! Each of the multimedia elements in powerful in its own right. Be a good girl. Ackroyd did little to look for her and later picked up Linda from work. I remember him spanking her over one of those old school windup alarm clocks and it got broke and he was trying to fix it in and stuff and him and mom were talking about it and they were both getting heatedmom said to line them up and spank them until (one confesses) They were getting ready to line us up. Its ugly to describe and imagine these killings. It was the day before Christmas. John Arthur Ackroyd was a state highway mechanic whose route took him along Route 20 from the Cascade Foothills to the Pacific Ocean's coast. I asked Marlene to describe what she saw and smelled when Ackroyd yanked her from the truck. I wanted the reader to feel rooted in that time and place. The ending because you want to leave readers with a meaningful and hopefully memorable coda, the lasting impression. How and why did you settle on that approach? Most of your sentences are short and simple; subject-verb-object, short sentences, short paragraphs. Two of the victims brothers have quietly suffered for years. It was my way of saying the state felt they had enough to prove this case and thats as close as this case would get to justice. In late 2016, then-director of news Therese Bottomly was presented a freelance story about a retired prosecutor who ran every Christmas Eve in memory of a murdered jogger whose killer he helped put behind bars for life. It was a single handwritten sentence. Enough time had passed to conclude Rachanda was dead. No evidence, physical or otherwise, ever linked Ackroyd to any of them, but their timing and proximity to Highway 20 prompted investigators to wonder if the mechanic had a hand in them. Among the files were details from grand jury testimony, which included precise accounts of Kayes state of mind and the days and hours before and after her disappearance. The teens had managed to build a sordid social circle in their young lives, so investigators had plenty of violent men to consider. Another, a young woman from Lebanon named Elizabeth Mussler who disappeared when she was 22, was discovered in a shallow grave. Theirs is a cold-case mystery that began with a tip about a possible serial killer. He was caught trying to steal equipment and supplies. I wanted the story to be easy on the reader. They continued to live together, though, raising Lindas two kids, Rachanda and her older brother, Byron. They could prove only a single case Turners 1978 murder. We were smacked by paddles and a lot of people who are are like, Oh big deal, a paddle. No, there was paddles that were designed with holes drilled in them and stuff and they would brag about it helps cuts through the air and you get a harder spanking. Ackroyd was very predominant in discipline. What was your reaction when you discovered it? Its 41 years too late, but finally she is believed. Kaye had been an avid runner with deep ties to Eugene, where she worked as a manager at a local public health agency. He was the only son of an office worker at the local police department and a maintenance man. I like how direct, clean and certain Hanlons quote is here. Sheila Swanson was 19 and from nearby Lebanon. Over two decades, four women disappeared and one was raped on the same stretch of road in rural Oregon. Prosecutors said she also had been raped. Unsatisfying because he pleaded no contest but his sentence was suspended as part of the plea so he was never formally convicted and his plea deal didnt require him to reveal what hed done with Rachanda. His work meant long hours alone on Highway 20, the route that bisects Oregon from east to west. In 1992, he was sentenced to five life terms in prison for the abduction and murder of Kaye Turner. He showed signs of a disturbed mind. And Harmon hadn't uncovered any physical evidence linking Ackroyd to Rachanda's disappearance. One man committed all the crimes and he is held responsible for the first time here. When she was 12, Ackroyd tattooed his initials on her arm. I dont know that its the theme. Months later, I wrote him another letter. Sometimes they would drive away and turn back to get her. Beth Nakamura / The Oregonian/OregonLive. The story reaches its powerful chronological conclusion. How much was revision involved in accomplishing this? How were you able to describe his breathing? Its a testament to taking a second or third look with fresh eyes and newer forensic techniques at old crimes. I dont know that its the theme. They had to be named first it should be a shock to the conscience that women were vanishing like this and someone was getting away with it. Lucinda Williams The Ghosts of Highway 20, One of the victims, Terri Jentz, wrote a book. In your Emmy acceptance speech, you singled out your editor, Margaret Haberman. Its got humanity and poignancy but it also lets readers know that ultimately some questions about the Turner murder were never answered. But it works for me. Ackroyds explanations of his encounter with her never added up, but detectives found no physical evidence directly tying him to the killing. Court and police files contained several references to Jane. They met once a week in Bensons office to dive into thousands of pages of old files, spending hours devouring details about the case. What lay behind that decision? They had to be named first it should be a shock to the conscience that women were vanishing like this and someone was getting away with it. It was a great detail that I needed to work into the story. You mentioned the watch earlier. Do investigators believe Ackroyd was responsible for these unsolved deaths? She went missing in 1990 12 years after Kayes killing and just down the highway. John Arthur Ackroyd was a longtime state highway mechanic whose route along U.S. 20 wound through some of Oregons most spectacular scenery from the Cascade foothills to the coast. Kaye Turner was killed in 1978, followed by Ackroyds stepdaughter, Rachanda, in 1990. Over two decades, four women disappeared and one was raped along the same stretch of road in rural Oregon. But what if the case turned on that clue? Cops did a thorough timeline of Kayes morning so that detail came from those records. This spectral photograph opens Ghosts of Highway 20, a stunning multimedia narrative series published last December by The Oregonian/OregonianLive. The men drove by Santiam Junction, slowing as they passed the eastern edge of the highway compound where Ackroyds manufactured home backed up to the woods. The conference room where we met to discuss this story features a wall-sized whiteboard. In 1992 he was sentenced to five life terms in prison for the abduction and murder of Kaye Turner. Several parts conclude with a cliffhanger, effectively designed to keep the reader reading. Still, police seemed skeptical. Their cases lingered in the communitys collective memory, and the local district attorney decided to reopen them in 2012, eager to identify potential suspects. Im in real trouble, he confided. Its dramatic and I wanted to draw it out for the reader. The nut graf is: One woman was raped, four others disappeared. In 1992, he was sentenced to five life terms in prison for the abduction and murder of Kaye Turner. www.opendialoguemediations.com. My editors advised me at one point to look for ways to mix things up with more complex sentences and longer graphs. Several thousand when all was said and done. They were thin slats of wood. Was there a question she was afraid to answer? Ackroyds name emerged early on. Her description provided a distinct sense of place. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. His parents worked as a maintenance man and as an office worker at the police department. That may have also played a role in their response. Ackroyd was raised in the small logging town of Sweet Home, Oregon. She seemed withdrawn and tired. I would describe it as unsatisfying and extraordinary. This section could perhaps have served as a nut graf, placed much higher in the story. She saw it as a way of letting readers know how much work went into this series. It ended with a gripping five-part, 7,000 word narrative, a gallery of haunting photos and a heartbreaking documentary that leave no doubt about the guilt of a serial killer, but precious little solace for his victims. She was a bright and witty woman who seemed destined to live a full life. I knew all along I wanted to make a passing reference to this crime because it was such a horrible act that touched on some of the same themes as Ackroyds crimes. He claimed hed reached down to touch the slain womans arm and hair. They found her lower jawbone and yellow shorts. An acquaintance told a detective how he once watched in horror as Ackroyd, then a young man, hacked up puppies using a machete, saying the dogs were his and nobody else could have them. How did it affect you and your colleagues? We encourage you to research and examine these . Tagged: The Oregonian. Its a combination of rhythm the variety is more interesting and simply finding ways to weave in the necessary details of who, what, when, where and why without overwhelming readers. He picked her up 41 years ago at a campground outside Sisters, Oregon. Why did Pam Ramirez lie when first interviewed by the cops? Ackroyd, an opportunist who preyed on women, had worked for more than a decade as a state mechanic along the last 170 miles of Highway 20 from the Cascade foothills to the coast. Jane, then 24, was on her bicycle, headed home from a waitressing job when she noticed Ackroyd standing near his pickup parked along the side of the road in Camp Sherman. We have found 138 people in the UK with the name John Ackroyd. He drove another 12 miles down the road and stopped in front of her mother-in-laws house in Lebanon, where shed asked him to drop her off. He steadfastly maintained his innocence, admitting only that he had seen Kaye that morning and found her remains. He claimed he invited her to join him on a drive to photograph deer on back roads near the junction. The dishes werent in the dishwasher and the floor wasnt vacuumed. It was the last time any cop talked to Ackroyd. I never got a clear answer about why it was sealed or who made that request. I relied on interviews with a detective and the woman deputy to reconstruct this scene. who said that they had a rocky childhood, and their father abused their mother to the point that she left the family. A few days later, I received a handwritten letter from Noel. I listened to them all, some multiple times. This time, the DA says come on down and I met with him and his chief deputy and they basically walked me through the grand jury presentation. She carried her baby book as a reminder of a time when she was happy. She said her son was shy around women. Rachandas mother, Linda, didnt make the trip and the girls father wasnt around. It moved around a bit until it landed here. Its amazing how much serendipity plays a role in this story, isnt it? The girl who was good about leaving notes if she headed out to play Nintendo at a neighbors house hadnt left one. Covering thought leadership in journalism, 2023 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College, It was pure serendipity. Was it difficult to learn about Kaye Turners husband since her murder? This story is complicated and confusing. The police detective who originally investigated the rape was long dead, so we couldnt ask him. Source? In 1973 he returned to England and worked as an editor for The Spectator. I knew those important voices would have their say in the video so it liberated me to write with more authority. Was it difficult to have to summarize so much of the story when your reporting had turned up more than enough details to dramatize the action? This is a kicker to the intro and sets up the only survivors story that immediately follows but it surely is the series emotional center of gravity: The dismissal of Marlenes account by police had tragic consequences. Both reports are attached to this post. For instance, Ackroyd told police he drove to his mothers house after raping Marlene. For his novels about English history and culture and his biographies of, among others, William Blake , Charles Dickens , T. S. Eliot , Charlie Chaplin and Sir Thomas More , he won the Somerset Maugham Award and two Whitbread Awards . We chose to go with the legacy of the investigation. There was the rivet found near Sheila and a beaded seat cushion used at the time in cars and trucks. It took 14 years to . The men spent hours talking to Ackroyd. We needed to say that. The couple married in the mid-1980s but divorced after a year. Over two decades, four women disappeared and one was raped along the same stretch of road in rural Oregon. This is the story of, Rachanda Pickle, Kaye Turner, Marlene Gabrielson, Melissa Sanders, Shiela Swan, and potentially many others. Its a testament to taking a second or third look with fresh eyes and newer forensic techniques at old crimes. Their stories have another connection: One man is linked to all five crimes. He dropped off Linda at the resort and continued east on Highway 20 to the state maintenance shop in Bend. Just as before, police turned up no physical evidence linking him to Melissa and Sheila. Happier times. is there quicksand in hawaii. Extraordinary because the court sealed the plea and effectively silenced Rachandas brother. Then Rachanda Pickle, Ackroyd's 13-year-old stepdaughter, disappeared. (Getty Images) If you've been following the five-part story of John Ackroyd, its conclusion might leave you hanging. Marlene suspects it was rooted in their bias against Native Americans. When he got home, I explained the purpose of our visit, what the series would report and how it would include details about his wifes killing that would be upsetting. One of those visits stood out: Shed discovered him fondling himself while looking at Oui, an explicit mens magazine sold at the store. I never got a clear answer about why it was sealed or who made that request. Was the use of such sickening details debated before the story ran? Great details, especially the belt. Like Kayes watch and her hair in the birds nest, this Fireball detail is one I knew I would use. They pressed him again and again about his interactions with Kaye. They were restless and broke, living an itinerant existence, drinking too much and keeping dangerous company. She wanted to go home to her baby. Why? How did you find out she tied her hair back and that the couple couldnt afford the buckskin boots she wore, and what she told her daughter? She recounted the attack in detail, how the man cut off her underwear and boots. The freelancers anniversary story, she realized, opened the door to more; he agreed to take a substantial kill fee so The Oregonian could pursue that more complicated piece. They were still after him when Ackroyd died alone in his prison cell two years ago. At a time when journalists credibility is under assault, extensive footnotes seemed like a compelling way to show our work. Earlier in the year, shed finished a marathon, run two half-marathons and climbed Mount Washington and Three Fingered Jack. For a moment, she considered how lucky she had been to escape unharmed. What lay behind that decision? The prosecution is going to progress in this.. Most of the narrative was constructed looking back. As investigators scoured the woods for clues, a state police trooper rested against a tree. She was alone with Ackroyd, a big man who reeked of sweat and freshly cut wood. Karens case and the others from that era were all but forgotten. She said he threatened to do to me exactly what they did to Kaye Turner.. Our overarching purpose was to hold their rapist/killer accountable in public for the first time. In 1977, Ackroyd raped Marlene Gabrielsen. The men heard a truck pull into the yard. Once, when a clock fell off a shelf, he beat her with a homemade paddle. You should know. Their stories have another connection: John Arthur Ackroyd.A highway mechanic who targeted women on the long stretch of highway that he know so well from endless trips.Calm and collected on the exterior, his personality hid the predator that raged within. More than two years later, another set of investigators went looking for the police report detailing Marlenes account.
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