Ackroyd worked out of Corvallis and continued to roam the highway. After Rachanda disappeared, he and her mother separated, and her mother moved to California and remarried. If he could have kept his mouth shut, this case would have gone nowhere.". You have permission to edit this article. In the case of Rachanda, however, he told investigators that she had been, as recounted by the Oregonian in their "Ghosts of Highway 20" project: " dumped and buried in the woods or threatened with a knife, tied up and gagged, her body rolled in plastic". Detective Jim Salsbery, who oversaw the case, later said that he believed he knew what happened to the missing girl, but he just didn't have the evidence to prove it. Ackroyd didnt seem bothered that Rachanda was gone and spoke about his missing stepdaughter in a way no panicked parent ever would. The dishes werent in the dishwasher and the floor wasnt vacuumed. Rachanda declined, citing the chores her mother expected her to finish, he said. At the time, Ackroyd also was a suspect in a cold case killing - the 1978 death of Kaye Turner, 35, who disappeared while jogging in Camp Sherman on Christmas Eve morning. Ackroyd drove by the woman twice that morning. What were the odds of that? Even the pajamas she was last seen wearing were found in her bedroom. He remains just one suspect of many in that case, but a strong one nonetheless. It was the kind of menial task you might give a rookie detective. When the couple pulled into the compound that evening, Rachanda wasnt hanging around outside like she had the day before. Then, in the waning days of December 2016, it was announced that 67-year-old John Arthur Ackroyd, who had long been suffering from numerous health issues, had passed away from heart disease inside of his prison cell. A police photograph shows evidence from the investigation into Kaye Turners murder. The resolution, in this case, would allow closure for the loved ones of Kaye Turner but was little solace for the friends and family of Rachanda Pickle, who had been missing for approximately four years at the time of sentencing. One of the major factors in this determination was that if she had run away, Rachanda had done so without any of her belongings. The couple had since divorced and Pam had moved to California. Rachanda Pickle's brother, Byron Pickle, was consulted during the state's negotiations with Ackroyd, Marteeny said. Former Detective Sgt. Ackroyd was finally arrested 14 years after what's believed to be his first killing, the 1978 murder of Turner. If she had been believed, all of these crimes might have been avoided. The familys kittens were curled up on the girls lap, he said. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). She French-braided her moms hair, then settled on the couch to watch cartoons in her pajamas. He wouldnt leave her for nothing.. Stockpiles of cinder rock towered near the buildings inside the complex. This is one of those things when you hope youll get a call from the family saying shes in Los Angeles or somewhere, Martinak said during the search. Accused murderer of 13-year-old missing girl dies in prison He wondered aloud if Rachanda had been dumped and buried in the woods or threatened with a knife, tied up and gagged, her body rolled in plastic. Later that morning, the door to the house opened unexpectedly. Police had still not uncovered any sign of her whereabouts, and this conviction seemed to essentially slam the door on any likelihood of her being found alive. After Rachandas disappearance, Ackroyd was transferred out of Santiam Junction, where his connection to the case and his behavior made women uncomfortable. Classification: Endangered Missing Vital Statistics Date Of Birth: March 15, 1977 Age at Time of Disappearance: 13 years old Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 4'7; 90 pounds Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. This would usually lead to him being sentenced for the crime, but the attorneys involved agreed to suspend sentencing for an indefinite period meaning that he received no actual sentence for this crime. Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. They kept their exasperation in check, rarely raising their voices as they combed fine details for any new revelation. Rachanda had one older brother named Byron, who was a little more than a year older than her, and the two would grow up with their mother, Linda, but would remain close to their father, whom they visited regularly. Both had been seen with John a short time before their deaths, and it's believed that he had taken a liking to them. Rachanda was a good kid, helping around the house and taking care not to stray far. Linda Monville said she believes her daughter is dead, but shes still not convinced her former husband is responsible. Could trucks be to blame for killing more pedestrians? Making matters even more complicated was Rachanda's father, Steven Pickle, casting doubt on investigators' statements towards the end of July. This had originally been discovered by a dog, but the dog's owner called police to the scene, leading to a full-scale dig of the area where the skull had been found, which uncovered some additional fragments of bone. Despite the disappearance of Rachanda Pickle causing massive changes in the lives of those that had known her, her case would remain unshakeable over the next several years. Piecing Together the Story of an Oregon Serial Killer After a four-week trial which took place in the latter half of 1993, John Arthur Ackroyd was convicted for Kaye Turner's death and was later given five life sentences without the possibility of parole. You can cancel at any time. He even pretended to aid in the fruitless search for the girl. This search effort would be organized and overseen by the Linn County Sheriff's Office, who were augmented by members of neighboring counties over the next several weeks. Chandy remains missing. John's accomplice, Roger Dale Beck, was convicted on almost identical grounds and continues to be housed in the Oregon State Penitentiary. When youre a young kid used to living in Springfield and you go to the Santiam Junction, its like this is a desolate area.. Didnt do anything to Channy? the cop pressed. For a man suspected of murder, Ackroyd was impassive under intense grilling by Salsbery and McAnulty. Linda Monville, Rachanda's mother, keeps this photo of Rachanda and Byron on a shelf in her home. Unfortunately, police had been unable to uncover any evidence of the teenager's current whereabouts, so they couldn't speak beyond these generalities without mucking up their ongoing investigation. he officers assigned to interrogate Ackroyd were direct. Despite them ruling out the theory pretty definitively within a day or so of her disappearance, investigators would be plagued by rumors of potential sightings throughout the area. Cook said Rachanda once came to school with a black eye. John Ackroyd, a longtime state highway worker, died alone in his prison celllate last year while serving a life sentence in another murder. And on the morning she vanished, Rachanda asked her mother not to go to work. Hanlon, whod spent his career practicing law in rural Oregon, knew of Ackroyd from reading a slim three-ring binder stashed in a cardboard box left behind by his predecessor. He knew it was Ackroyd who had eventually led police to her remains. Over the next few years, investigators would continue to receive reports of potential sightings from the area, including a rather high-profile sighting from August of 1999. The family lived at the state highway division compound at Santiam Junction, where U.S. 20 and Oregon 22 meet. When the dispatcher asked why she hadnt called sooner, Linda said she assumed she had to wait 24 hours to report a missing person. Within 30 minutes of her mom getting home from work, she'd be right there, hanging on her mom's shirttail". Ackroyd spun the same story from then on. This fact alone made investigators suspicious, but paired together with all of the other red flags in John Ackroyd's past, put him at the very top of their suspect list. A dozen or so work crews called the junction home. Rachanda Lea Pickle Missing since July 10, 1990 from Sweet Home, Linn County, Oregon. Another time, they snuck her into their bedroom closet. It wasn't even really a confirmation of him committing the crime, but seemed to be more of a refusal to deny it (if that makes sense). This includes the 1977 rape of Marlene Gabrielsen, who identified Ackroyd as her attacker at the time, but police chose not to pursue rape charges; instead, taking John at his word when he simply said their encounter was consensual. Ackroyds low libido was the source of such open conflict that Lindas teenage son, Byron, knew of their troubles. You should know. This is a police photo of the Ackroyd home at the time of Rachanda's disappearance on July 10, 1990. His Stepdaughter Vanished. What He Said Was Disturbing Bill Hanlon, the D.A. It wasn't until Oregonian reporters began digging into this case - following Ackroyd's death - that details of this plea deal would be released to the world at large. He would be charged with two counts of aggravated murder and three counts of murder, accused of conspiring to kidnap, rape, and murder Kaye Jean Turner nearly two decades prior. The sheriff's office would eventually reach out to the FBI the following January (1991), asking for the Criminal Investigative Analysis Team from Portland to help. Rachanda Lea "Chandy" Pickle (1977-1990) - Find a Ackroyd had driven to a state highway office in Bend, but returned home after only about an hour. Investigators were troubled by John Ackroyds knowledge of Rachandas bra size. Then Rachanda Pickle, Ackroyd's 13-year-old stepdaughter, disappeared. Sadly, searches of the area would be unable to come up with any answers; whatever had happened to Kaye Turner, she seemed to have disappeared into thin air. He was painting the tailgate. On 10 July 1990, 13-year-old Rachanda Pickle was last seen inside her mother and stepfather's home in Santiam Junction, Oregon. The reason for it remaining confidential for over three years has never been determined and is only known by the people in the courtroom that fateful day in 2013. In fall 2013, according to the unsealed court records, Ackroyd agreed not to seek parole and to decline release even if he became eligible in exchange for his no contest plea in his stepdaughter's death. Police and court records filled a file cabinet in the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. He's too much of a calm man.". She spotted two young women she knew. None of the chores she had been assigned that day had been accomplished, but none of her clothing or belongings seemed to be missing (indicating that Rachanda had not planned to leave). Rachanda Pickle's brother, Byron Pickle, was consulted during the state's negotiations with Ackroyd, Marteeny said. "The settlement reached a point where we were able to have the certainty that he would be in prison forever," Marteeny told The Oregonian/OregonLive. The couple married in the mid-1980s but divorced after a year. In 1978, Kaye Turner disappeared while on a morning run during a Christmas visit to isolated Camp Sherman. On the morning of December 24th, 1978, Kaye Jean Turner left a cabin she had been renting near Camp Sherman, a tourist hotspot in central Oregon, about 40 miles northwest of Bend. A police photo taken inside the Ackroyd home. He's never went out of hand or spanked my kids against my will. Foul play is suspected in Rachanda's disappearance due to the circumstances involved. Plows stood ready to rumble onto the mountain pass during winter storms. He would check on her at recess, recalled Mandy Cook, a childhood friend and classmate who now lives in Amarillo, Texas. Linn County Sheriff's Office mounted extensive search for Rachanda Pickle in 1990. John had also been one of the last people to see her alive, and - if you recall from the introduction - had led police to her partial remains eight months later (which he claims he discovered through mere happenstance). He is currently serving a life sentence at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem for the Christmas Eve 1978 murder of Kaye Jean Turner near the Metolius River. While John had been married to and/or living with Rachanda's mother for approximately six years, he seemed to know very little personal information about the missing girl: he was unable to recall her birthday or other details like that. He didn't seem upset that Rachanda was missing, and police were suspicious because he knew her weight and her bra size but not her birthday.
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