Kristin Smith’s remains were found February 19, Joanna Speaks’ was found April 8, Charity Perry’s was found April 24, an unidentified woman’s remains were also found April 24, Bridget Webster found April 30 and lastly Ashley Real’s remains were found May 7. Each of these women’s remains were found within the Portland region according to The Portland Police Bureau.

Social media posts from platforms like Facebook have been circulating and attempting to link the six deaths, because of the close proximity of the remains. This way of thinking isn’t a stretch in itself since most serial killers have a defined geographic area of operation, their killings happen within comfort zones that are most often defined by an “anchor point” (e.g. place of residence, employment, or residence of a relative) according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, increasing the likeliness of their theories. 

Each woman was found in a rural area either in a forest, state park, creek or abandoned building away from the sight of others. Yet, despite public speculation, only one case was ruled as homicide; 32 year old Joanna Speaks’ case is being investigated by police as such. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office told news sources that “there are indications the body was moved to this location,” They stated. “This is being investigated as a homicide and no further details regarding the circumstances of the body are being released at this time.” The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office deemed Speaks’ cause of death a homicide from blunt head and neck injuries.

Although these cases are fairly new and still under investigation, the Portland Police Bureau has already made a statement saying they have no reason to believe these deaths are connected. 

“Historically, the first indication that a serial murderer was at work was when two or more cases were linked by forensic or behavioral evidence,” stated the FBI. No forensic evidence has been found so far connecting all or any of the women’s deaths and the police have not revealed the suspected cause of death for any of the women besides Speaks. A trend in the manner of killing — as in all the women being killed in similar ways — has not been identified. Also, foul play has been ruled out in the case of the unidentified woman and no one has been arrested for any of these murders. Also, as far as the public knows the police have not established any people of interest. 

Law force agencies are still working together to determine whether the internet theory is true. “Five different law enforcement agencies are investigating the women’s deaths — and at least three of the agencies have said they are working with the others to determine if the cases could be connected and have a single perpetrator,” according to the New York Post. 

Yet so far no real links have been found between these cases beyond all the victims being  women near the Portland area. Until concrete evidence is found, the public should not have to worry about the potential of a serial killer. It is still a good caution to lock the doors of your homes and stay safe because cases like these remind us of how fragile life is, and the dangers those around us can pose to our lives. 

Photos of the women:

The post Does Oregon Have a Serial Killer on the Loose? appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

On July 11, 1973 Wickersham, a junior at Bend Senior High School, went missing. Wickersham had just gone for a drive before delivering her mom’s car to the Sage Room Restaurant (in downtown Bend near the Tower Theatre) where her mom worked at 11:30 p.m. Susan’s mom, Sharon Wickersham, had asked her if she wanted to wait so they could drive home together, but Susan insisted she’d be fine walking home alone, according to multiple news reports.

After dropping the car off, Wickersham was last seen by Denice Blake, a server and acquaintance of Wickersham, “She came in that day and we said ‘hi’ and exchanged greetings. A couple minutes later, I was waiting on a table, and I saw her standing across the street in front of what was then the Owl Pharmacy — and the next time I happened to look out the window, she was gone,” Blake told KTVZ in 2015. Wickersham had been waiting for her friends to come pick her up, but when they didn’t show up she decided to walk home. 

Wickersham’s older sister, Rhonda McMurran, described to KTVZ how her parents traveled all over Oregon looking for Wickersham, handing out posters and talking to anyone who they could look for any information. When Wickersham went missing, the police tried to convince her parents that she had just “run away” and they didn’t take her disappearance too seriously since running away isn’t abnormal teenage behavior. At the time, Bend Oregon was home to only 37,000 residents and had one high school. Everyone knew everyone, and trusted their neighbors. Abductions, murders or anything out of the ordinary was unheard of. 

The Bend Police Department has a specific policy for missing persons that includes a special “at risk” category for kids 13 and under and anyone who might be at a higher risk due to other factors. There are a lot of official procedures in place today for all missing persons that likely weren’t in place at the time that Wickersham went missing – the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children didn’t exist for example, according to Sheila Miller, Bend Police’s Communications Manager. This created inconsistencies for Wickersham’s search as police prioritized other cases which were high profile, at risk or seemingly more time sensitive. 

On January 20, 1976, skeletal remains and some personal items were found by a cinder pit approximately five miles south of Bend in a wooded area behind Scalehouse Loop Road, by a man collecting firewood. The remains were identified as Wickersham through dental records and the recovered personal items. Examination of the skull by the state medical examiner’s office determined Wickersham had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The bullet had entered her skull behind the right ear, with no exit wound. This concluded the gun was of small caliber, potentially a .22 handgun, according to news reports. 

Her case was never solved.

Only under 50% of murders are solved or “cleared” in the USA. More and more people are getting away with the murder of our loved ones without any justice, according to NPR’s article, “More People Are Getting Away with Murder. Unsolved Killings Reach a Record High”. The Wickersham family never got the closure they deserved for losing their daughter and sister, her friends never got to say goodbye. Her seventeen year old life was cut short before she truly got to experience all the joys that come with a long life.

A lot of cold-cases are dehumanized from the thrill of murders unsolved and mystery’s left to uncover that people online, and in real life, strive to detangle. But, these are real people, beloved by many, who have lost their lives due to others. 

Susan was born Nov. 21, 1955. She had lived in Bend her whole life and was known for being a very friendly girl with a bubbly outgoing personality. “Susan was happy, free spirited… It was sad when Susan went missing and a shock when the town found out how she died” explained A detective on Wickersham’s case, Mark Mills, who had known her in highschool, according to KTVZ’s report.

There are many theories revolving around Wickersham’s case with many suspects and finger pointing, but if you or anyone you know has any new information on this case please contact the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office at 541-693-6911 immediately so the family Wickersham has left can find some closure. 

The post Central Oregon Cold Case: Approaching Susan Ann Wickersham’s 50th Anniversary appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

As the 2022-2023 school year comes to a close, teenagers want to have their own money to pay for gas, a car and countless other adventures so a job becomes a necessity.

Getting a job as a teenager can be a tough endeavor. Many teenagers juggle a lot at once with school, a social life, sports and clubs; it can be overwhelming. When teenagers want to add a job into the mix, most don’t know where to look, what to look for in a job besides pay-rate, what jobs are available or how to even write a resume. When faced with this new territory of becoming like adults, many teenagers need help.

Larry Holeman, “Larry The Internship Guy,” works for EDCO (Economic Development for Central Oregon) in a program called Youth Career Connect. Holeman works with students and businesses to help facilitate opportunities for students to get real world work experience through internships. Holeman visits each highschool in Central Oregon weekly to give all students a chance to learn about EDCO internships and offer help developing work skills. Holeman helps teenagers get internships from a range of areas like computer science, real-estate, graphic design, social media, journalism, medical, law, businesses, architecture, woodworking and more. Many students that Holeman works with have never had a job and have had no prior work experience, so he helps students in a range of ways in order to get the best jobs suited to them as possible. In an interview, Holeman gave great insight on some of teenagers’ largest questions on the job world. 

How to Write a Resume

Many students have never had jobs so they don’t know how to write an effective resume to portray themselves. Holeman talks about other subjects you can add to your resume like volunteer work or community service, any type of events or projects you’ve done with your school, any relevant roles and responsibilities you’ve had and any type of work you’ve done (like doing yard work for your parents or babysitting). Also students can add types of classes they’ve taken and interests they have, what you are passionate about. 

“There are a few main points of a resume,” Holeman explained. “One, you want to have an objective. Another is what you are looking for in a job. That can be specific for the job you are applying for.” This allows your employer to know what you want in a job, what you want to achieve and what you have done so businesses can assess who you are and determine if you will fit well into their business. 

Preparing For an Interview

“A resume gets you in the door, the interview closes the deal,” Holeman stated. You have to be prepared, you need to know the company you are interviewing for, who is interviewing you, what the job you are applying for entails and most importantly come with a lot of questions. Coming with questions shows the employer you care and you want to know more about the job. Teenagers need to learn to take the interrogating questions from the employer into a conversation. Make sure to show up early and to relax before your interview so you can come in with an open mind.  

 More tactics you can apply to sway your interviewer is to visit the company’s website, print out some pages and highlight and create notes on the pages to talk about in the interview. This will show that you have taken the time to study their business and what they do. You could also write a cover letter to demonstrate your writing and communication skills. It also introduces who you are and states your desired outcomes from getting the job in depth and how you can help. 

What to Look For in a Job

While most focus on the pay rate of jobs, there are other aspects teenagers should be aware of when looking for a job. If a teenager is only looking for money, then they could work anywhere like McDonalds or push a shopping cart around at the store. But that isn’t career based work experience, it isn’t something you can bring with you to other jobs and to look more desirable for future careers. Teenagers should look for meaningful and enjoyable work to set them up for their future. 

If you get an internship, you gain real world experience you can use to apply to colleges and put on a resume to give yourself more value to companies. When you have prior work experience you also will be set up to make higher wages when you are older. No matter what you do, you have to start from the ground up so internships allow students to get into the door early. 

Getting an internship also can help teenagers figure out what they want to do for a living. Holeman and others at EDCO will talk and ask a lot of questions to students individually to figure out what each person enjoys so the student can find the best internship that suits them and their desired future. Students’ hobbies are a great basis for a job they will enjoy. 

Whether you’re looking for an elite internship, or a laid back job, these tips will help you bolster your resume, and bank account.

The post Getting a Job as a Teenager appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

By Miranda and Fatima at El Amigazo Taqueria

Central Oregon is filled with a large variety of restaurants serving American food, Greek, Japanese and more. With a multitude of cultures in our food industries, most would assume the ethnic variety would come hand-in-hand. But Oregon’s population, as of 2022, was 14% Hispanic or Latino, even though Mexican restaurants are prominent in most places you look. With a lower population of Mexicans, how can we know if the Mexican food of Central Oregon is truly authentic? Fatima Valdovinos and Miranda Vogel, two teenage girls with completely different backgrounds decided to figure it out. Fatima was raised in a Latino household, with authentic Mexican food being a staple in her life. Miranda was raised in an American family not knowing the difference between food labeled as Mexican and authentic Mexican food. We came together to rate some of Central Oregon’s most well known Mexican restaurants. 

We started at a taco truck in Redmond called El Amigazo. The owner, Isabell Castillos from Morelos, Mexico, has owned the food truck for three years, buying it from the previous owner in 2020. Castillos said that the majority of her recipes are from her hometown in Morelos. She also added, “mi mamá me ayuda mucho con lo que vienen siendo las salsas y como esas cosas. Pues como mi mamá viene con todo eso de Morelos.”(My mom helps a lot with salsas and similar things. Since she comes with all the recipes from Morelos.”)  

We ordered two Al Pastor con piña tacos. They were delicious, with vibrant flavors and good, seasoned meat. The tacos were not spicy at all with a 1 out of 10 spice rating from both of us. We didn’t add any of their house made salsas, we ate what came on the taco. At the end of that meal we both concurred that if we were in Redmond, we’d eat there again. With an overall rating of 8.5 out of 10, we suggest that if you are in the area, give it a try.

Next, we went to Hablos Tacos in Bend. The first thing we noticed was the colorful tiles along the walls with decorations of pineapples and overpriced bottles of mexican soda in a fridge (aka Jarritos). We ordered two tacos Al Pastor con piña and two carne asada tacos, which cost $13. We had to wait over 15 minutes before the tacos were served. They looked unflattering to say the least. Miranda ate the carne asada without much care, but the moment Fatima took a bite, she shoved the plate away. The carne asada was flat, the shell had been crusted in cheese and was burnt, it was very displeasing to how Mexican food should be. The tacos were definitely not authentic. The tacos Al Pastor got an average spice rating of 3.5 out of 10, the spiciest we’d had so far. Fatima rated the tacos a 0 out of 10, while Miranda rated them a 6 out of 10. This goes to show how little those outside of Mexican culture know about how traditional food should taste.

Tacos El Pastor con Piña from El Amigazo

We then asked to interview the head manager. We talked to manager Isaiha Serontas about the inspiration for the restaurant. He said, “one of Chef George’s favorite stories to tell is that for his bachelor party they went down to Mexico City, [Mexico] where they ate at a Michelin star restaurant. They flew to Tijuana the next day and tried different taco trucks around and said that the food from the taco truck was just as good as the Michelin star.” Serontas added that George decided to bring some of that taste into America. We later asked what makes Hablos Tacos authentic and Serontas said, ”…most of our food is held true to authentic recipes that Chef George and our Hispanic cooks contribute.”

Though, overall not the most authentic experience, their music taste was amazing and the environment was nice. With an overall 3 out of 10 rating, we agreed that neither of us would return to this restaurant to eat. 

Carne asada tacos from Hablos Tacos

Lastly, we went to the local chain, El Sancho. The walls were painted in pretty colors with nothing demoralizing Mexican culture, there was stained glass in the back with a nice painted mural. We ordered a limeade, two carne asada tacos and platanos (fried bananas), totaling $18.50. Our larger order of food came out at a lightning rate, less than five minutes later. The presentation was colorful and pleasing to look at with light green sauces and colorful blue plating, things were looking good already. Although the tacos were not very spicy, they had immaculate flavor, getting the best average rating of the day with a 9.25 out of 10. We both agreed we would definitely eat there again, and the service was great, ending our food rating experience on a high note. Although the owner originated in Bend, the food had an authentic taste. 

When interviewing the manager on shift, Dani Beverage, gave us insight on El Sancho. She explained El Sancho’s origin saying, “the owner started with a tamale push cart which turned into a taco shack…[then created] this restaurant [before adding on] the westside restaurant.” There are two El Sancho restaurants, both in Bend. The owner, Jon Barvel, also came from Bend, but he traveled around Mexico. He has a Hispanic cook who created all the El Sancho specials from her own recipes. 

Carne asada tacos and platanos from El Sancho

Overall, of the three places we visited El Amigazo, Hablos Tacos and El Sancho, El Amigazo and El Sancho were deemed authentic, or seemingly authentic. They were the places where we both felt a good vibe and most importantly, the food was delicious. Though we did stick to Redmond and Bend, there are more places in Madras that offer authentic Mexican food. These would include Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant, Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant, Posada Mexican Grill, Mi Casa restaurant, and La Cabañita Restaurante are all located in Madras and are authentic and run by Hispanics. 

The post Is There Authentic Mexican Food in Central Oregon? appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.