D.A.: Missing Student Case Suspect May Be Serial Killer

Aug. 4, 2005 — -- The man charged with murder, kidnapping and rape in the disappearance of Brigham Young University student Brooke Wilberger may be a serial killer who has struck in several states, according to a New Mexico district attorney.

Oregon authorities announced Wednesday that a grand jury has indicted Joel Courtney on 19 counts of aggravated murder, kidnapping, rape and sodomy in the disappearance of Wilberger, who vanished from the Corvallis apartment complex her sister manages on May 24, 2004. Wilberger's body has not been found.

Police say Wilberger, 19 at the time, was last seen helping with some cleaning chores. Authorities believed Wilberger's disappearance was suspicious because her cleaning supplies were left behind, her flip-flops were found in the complex parking lot, and her cell phone and other personal items were left behind in her sister's apartment.

Targeting College Students?

Courtney, 39, is currently being held in Albuquerque on kidnapping and rape charges in an unrelated incident involving a foreign exchange student at the University of New Mexico. In a statement to ABC News affiliate KATU News in Portland, Ore., Bernalillo County, N.M., District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said Courtney is "a possible suspect in other homicides" involving college students.

Courtney, authorities said, has lived in a number of places, including Beaverton, Ore.; Cape Canaveral, Fla.; Anchorage, Alaska; and Albuquerque, N.M. In New Mexico and Oregon, Courtney's alleged crime victims were both young college students and it is possible that other victims also were college age, Brandenburg said. Investigators are trying to determine whether evidence links Courtney to other unsolved slayings.

"In this one [the case in New Mexico], we have a live victim and we're very thankful for that," said Brandenburg. "In some of the other cases, the victim wasn't that fortunate. So this is an individual that we want to put away for the rest of his life."

At an arraignment Wednesday in New Mexico, Courtney refused to appear on video before the judge.

"His lawyer probably told him there were several cameras in the courtroom waiting for him," said bail bondsman Gerald Madrid. "I think he realized the amount of media coverage that was in the courtroom and he was just trying to minimize the amount that he's on the news back in Oregon."

Search for Brooke Continues

At the press conference held in Corvallis on Wednesday, Oregon law enforcement officials thanked New Mexico investigators for their help in bringing charges against Courtney.

"This is but a milestone for us," Benton County District Attorney Scott Heiser said. "We have a tremendous amount of work that still needs to be done in this case, including finding Brooke's body."

Heiser said a green minivan that police had focused on was the link that tied Courtney to Wilberger's disappearance. Police say they have that minivan, but have not disclosed its location or any ownership information.

Cammy Wilberger, Brooke's mother, told reporters that her family still wants to find their loved one. She also thanked those working on the investigation and did not want to jeopardize the case.

"We ask that the media respect our privacy and realize that we do not have the answers to most of the questions that you are asking," she said. "We don't want to compromise anything in this case."

Corvallis Police Lt. Ron Noble reiterated that investigators are working hard and will not rest until they find Wilberger.

"The obvious part is we still don't know where Brooke is," he said. "We are committed to finding her for the family, [and] the community … we want to be sure that as this case is tried, that we do our very best for the citizens of the state of Oregon."

Suspect's Family Reaches Out to Wilbergers

Courtney is married with three children, and his family lives in New Mexico. Heiser said Courtney has worked as a mechanic and a supervisor for a commercial cleaning crew.

Courtney's sister, Dina McBride, said her family is keeping the Wilbergers in their thoughts and prayers. She said the family has been cooperating with Corvallis police in the investigation.

"We are a family who holds faith very dear," she said. "We believe God is the definition of love. We also know from His word, the Bible, that he is the God of justice. Because of that, and what we know of God, we believe that justice must be served."

The grand jury that indicted Courtney heard from 13 witnesses, including three forensics experts, and based on that testimony, indicted Courtney on 19 counts. The specific counts are: 14 counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated kidnapping in the first degree, one count of first-degree rape, one count of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of first-degree sodomy.

Courtney could face the death penalty under Oregon law. Prosecutors have not announced a decision on whether they will seek death.

Reported by ABC News affiliate KATU-TV in Portland, Ore.