Town in Turmoil After Disappearances

March 27, 2002 -- Since Jan. 9, everyday moments, like getting on the school bus and little girls going to dance class, have been replaced by fear.

When 12-year-old Ashley Pond vanished, it was only the beginning of a tragic ordeal. Since then,

On that day, 12-year-old Ashley Pond vanished...it was the beginning of an ordeal that would only get more bizarre and more tragic. Fear has now gripped the entire community -- and nothing in Oregon City is normal anymore.

NARRATION NEW A few months ago, Ashley Pond was at home with her family for Christmas ? now she is a missing person.

Ashley photographs and/or the home video from Christmas ?I have not seen the video - use the stills if the video does not work ?. SOT ASHLEY POND Christmas home video and/stills

NARRATIONOne chilly January morning, Ashley's mother Lori watched her 13-year-old daughter rush out the door for school. LORI POND [Pond intv. , Page 7 09;07;00] She said: Bye, mom, I love you! She said: Everything's okay 'n ch- out the door she went and that was the last time I saw my daughter.

STAND UPAshley walked the same route every morning - from home up this driveway to catch the school bus on the road just over that rise. This section - about a forty-foot stretch - is hidden from the apartments below and the road above. Investigators think this the spot where Ashley was abducted. In one FBI agent's words, "It was like she was beamed up into a spaceship" - vanished without leaving a trace - seemingly into thin air. LORI [Lori Pond , Page 9 09;08;08] Nobody had saw her..//.. she obviously didn't even make it up to the bus stop, none of the kids saw her at the bus stop. So from my home to the bus stop my daughter came up missing.

Police investigation montage NARRATIONThe Portland police called in the FBI. A search every square inch of the complex yielded no leads. As search dogs combed the apartments, officers solicited any scrap of information from passing motorists ? Information that is desperately needed by FBI agent Charles Mathews. CHARLES MATHEWS[Matthews FBI , Page 7] we have no uh - crime scene. We have no forensic evidence and we have no direct evidence and what we're looking for now, or speedy resolution is - is somebody in the public uh - having information that will help us. NARRATION NEW The FBI questioned all the neighborhood kids, including Ashley's friend Miranda Gaddis who was even interviewed on television.

SOT MIRANDA GADDIS: I don't know what happened. I just know that she disappeared - ran away or got kidnapped or something.

NARRATION NEW Miranda lives with two sisters and her mother Michelle in the same apartment complex as Ashley.

JAMI FLOYD[Michelle Duffey 1, Page 7] And what was Miranda's reaction, first when Ashley disappeared, and then as the time went by?MICHELLE DUFFEYMiranda thought she ran away, and she was getting mad that people were saying maybe she didn't run away, maybe somethin' happened. ..//.. [Michelle Duffy 1, Page 8] and she'd yell and say: Ashley ..//.. just ran away and I don't know why you guys believe that she disappeared. LORII knew Miranda very well too. ..//.. after Ashley disappeared, she came over the house and gave me a hug and told me everything was gonna be okay and I just- I-I told her and her friend, I said: Stay in groups. ..//.. But at this time, see, people were still kind of, you know, is it a runaway, is it...? But I knew and I just told 'em, I said: Stay together, stay together.

NARRATION NEW Most parents in town were insisting that their children never go anywhere alone. But as the days turned into weeks without any news, Miranda's mother began to relax. MICHELLE DUFFEY[Michelle 1, Page 9] I think everybody kind of backed off and thought: ..//.. we're trying to find Ashley and everything'll be fine. And we all kind of backed off on bein' so strict.

NARRATION Then the unthinkable happened. Almost two months to the day after Ashley disappeared, Miranda disappeared too -- while walking up the same hill to same the morning school bus. And like her friend Ashley, Miranda has not been seen or heard from since. JAMI[Lori Pond Intv , Page 20] What did you think when Miranda disappeared? LORIIt killed me. (Pause) Because I mean, now there's two. There shouldn't even have been one, now there's two.

NARRATION NEW And still there is not one solid clue, not a shred of evidence, nothing on which to build an investigation. But the possibility that the girls had run away was ruled out by the FBI. CHARLES MATHEWS FBI [Matthews FBI , Page 17] we're dealing with a - a repeat offender. And we do believe that whoever is responsible for one, is responsible for the other. .. ..//And so uh - we have a - an urgency to - to find this individual, before uh - we have another disappearance of this type.NARRATIONForensic Psychologist Frank Colistro has studied criminal behavior for over 20 years. FRANK COLISTRO[Frank Calisto, Page 4] I'm afraid what we're dealing with is a predator- a sexual predator; um, somebody who is highly organized, somebody who may be known to them. ..//.. [Transcript, Page 5] this is somebody who knows what he's doing, who's methodical, who's careful, who's hunting, probably, these girls the way, uh, guys hunt prey.

JAMIThe second abduction was a bold move, wasn't it?

FRANKVery much so. ..//.. the similarity in appearance of the girls is striking. ..//.. serial predators like this have a very specific age, body size, hair color, sometimes even eye color in mind. Um, it may be, ..//.. just the challenge of it; just the sort of I'm that good, watch this, I'm gonna do it twice.NARRATIONColistro says that while cases like this are rare, the fear in Oregon City is understandable -- and the threat very real. Within days, 15 families moved out of the apartment complex. And the teenage girls in the neighborhood were more frightened than ever ?. Among them Miranda's sister Mariah. MARIAH[Mariah Intv , Page 21] I'm scared to even walk on my porch by myself 'n so I think a lot of kids around here were- are scared of just walking outside of their apartment. ..//.. [Mariah Intv , Page 7] I'm afraid because- I mean, I never know, it could be me next. I mean, it's scary.SOT: ROBYN SPEAKS[girls at the table 2, Page 6 02:04:24] I'm just- I don't know, I'm just scared. I'm just scared to go anywhere alone or anything.NARRATIONSince the girls disappeared, their friends and family have rallied together - ready to do anything that might help bring her home. But they are worried sick and terrified ? bracing for what could be a long wait. The predator may strike again ? or for a tip from a stranger may turn events their way.ROBYN SPEAKS [Girls Drawing , Page 8 02:04;02] I don't go anywhere alone ever.MARISSA [Girls Drawing , Page 20 02;10;44] I still watch to make sure nobody's behind me. And I get a ride to school now. GIRL VO ONLY[Girls Drawing , Page 16 02;09;14] I have been sitting writing since she's been gone.NARRATIONFeeling helpless, the girls fill their days making posters and writing poems dedicated to their missing friend. GIRL READING POEM [Girls Drawing , Page 32] Goodbye is something I didn't get to say. It doesn't matter. I didn't want to say it anyway. Now I think I'm going to cry. I will see you later. This isn't goodbye.Bus shot and moms walking together ?. NARRATION NEW The school bus now goes door to door through the housing complex picking up children. And the moms - Lori and Michele - must come to terms with the nightmare every parent dreads. JAMIDo you find yourself thinking about the worst case scenario? MICHELLEI feel they're still alive ..//.. but I worry of why they're alive, why they're keeping them alive, and that's scary. ..//.. I do think about that a lot and and its really hard. LORI[Lori Pond Intv , Page 33] you hear them and you turn. You do, and it-it freaks you out. It does me. 'Cause I turn and she's not there and I expect her to be there. And then I realize I- am I losing my mind, you know?Wide shot of Mariah ?. NARRATIONMariah has not attended school in the two weeks since her sister disappeared. JAMIE[Mariah Intv , Page 14] do you think your personality has changed in the last couple weeks? MARIAHUm, I'm- wear more of her stuff, more than I usually. ..//.. [Mariah Intv , Page 14] her clothes have, like the same smell that she does, and so it makes me feel like I'm close to her.

Michelle and Mariah walking together. As they walk away, we see the tree in the foreground with the yellow ribbon. JAMI VO You know, there are cases where kids have been found alive.MICHELLEYes, and that's what I keep thinking. I have phone calls from people saying: My daughter was kidnapped and was gone for three years and came home. And so those calls keep me going .This is from the walk and talk ? JAMI[Lori , Page 31] How long are you gonna keep hoping?

LORI'Til she comes home.

JAMIWhat if she's not home in six months?

LORI'Til she comes home.

JAMIA year?

LORI'Til she comes home. It happens.

JAMIFive years.

LORIIt happens. They come home sometimes after that. Until I die.

THE END