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News
WEÓNEsdAy, J anuary 50, 2002
The CI ac I camas P rìnt
Pond: Disappearance worries Clackamas students, faculty members;
FBI, local police continue investigation, questioning persons of interest
Continued from page 1
“They are doing a severe
search behind the apartments
where Ashley lives with her mom,”
said Martin. “They’re starting to
fan out,” he added.
According to The National
Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, in 2000,876,213 persons
were reported missing to the po
lice and were entered in the Na
tional.Crime Information Center
(NCIC). This is broken down as
juveniles, endangered and invol
untary. Most runaway cases and
voluntary disappearances are de
scribed as juvenile. These cases
represent 78 percent of the total
missing per year.
Persons who are missing and in
the company of another person
under circumstances where his/
her physical safety is in danger are
considered endangered and they
make up 14 percent of the total
cases.
Involuntary cases, which are
people missing under circum
stances indicating the disappear
ance was not voluntary, make up
4 percent of the total cases per
year.
According to reports from
oregonlive com and KATU Chan
nel 2 News, no evidence has been
found that Ashley Pond is a run
away. However, nothing is being
ruled out. There is still hope for
the family. More people are vol
unteering and every day searches
continue and flyers are posted.
“All of the mass searches took
place in the Newell Creek area,”
said Lieutenant John Stewart of
the Oregon City Police Depart
ment.
“We all have to think posi
tively,” s^id Martin.
No evidence of foul play has
been reported. Ashley Pond is
presently considered as being in
danger and missing under suspi
cious circumstances.
Currently, there are no sus
pects, but people are still being
questioned and according to re
ports there are “four to six people
that are being looked at very hard”.
“We don’t have any suspects
since we are investigating for a
missing person. We talked to ev
erybody (neighbors, parents,
friends, and so on). We are not
sure whether a crime has been
committed. Right now we are look
ing at it from a missing person
standpoint,” said Stewart.
The FBI has joined the search
and has been working with the Or
egon City Police Department.
Dogs have been brought in spe
cifically trained to find cadavers.
“Our agents certainly are work
ing with Oregon City to continue
with the investigation,” said Beth
Ann Steele, FBI spokeperson.
Every tip is being looked into
and the grounds have and will
continue to be thoroughly
searched.
As the days turn into weeks the
family continues to remain posi
tive and hope for the best. How
ever, each day that goes by is mak
ing it harder and harder to obtain
any evidence.
“It’s getting scary, this long,”
said Martin. “We’re just beside
ourselves.”
At Clackamas, many students,
young mothers and faculty mem
bers expressed their concern.
“Students are worried. A lot of
them mentioned that they live in
the area where Ashley’s family
lives and have known her,” said
Sue Kamp, assistant director at the
FRC (Family Resource Center).
“Now, we have to be more aware.
Especially in the Newell Creek area,
it’s such a long walk to the bus
station.”
Sherrie Duffy who teaches at the
FRC has known Pond for several
years.
“Ashley was friends’ with my
niece. They were both on the
dance team together. My niece is
very upset and she worries about
her friend,” Duffy said. “It’s scary.
At Newell Creek, kids have to go
all the way to the top of the hill to
catch the bus. Where I live par
ents now always walk with their
children to the bus station.”
As of January 29,2002, reports
are coming in through several
sources that the FBI is looking at
the Pond family computer’s hard
drive. Some adults that knew
Ashley or were directly in her life
are being questioned heavily after
reports from interviews with other
people that has led them to new
information.
As search efforts continue the
family asks for help. Anyone with
information about this case or
Ashley is encouraged to call 24
hours at (503) 656-1045 or (503)
421-9882.
SALENA DE LA CRUZ / Clackamas Print
View from the rear of the Newell Creek Apartment complex in
Oregon City, where 12-year-old Ashley Pond disappeared from
on the morning of Jan. 9. Local police have enlisted the help of
the FBI In the investigation of the case.
Jan. 7,2002:2:30 p.m. Theft I. A car is broken into located in the Family Resource Center (FRC) parking lot. The dash was broken
and over $ 1,000 worth of property is stolen.
Jan. 7,2002:9:30 a.m. Theft I. A car in Barlow parking lot is broken into and over $990 worth of property is stolen.
Jan. 16,2002:1:50 p.m. A purse was originally reported as misplaced, but is later found in the Community Center and had been
riffled through, with $20 in cash and numerous credit cards and bank cards taken.
Jan. 19,2002: Approximately 3 p.m. Public Safety responded to a call for a fight and had to call in Oregon City police since unarmed
security was the only one on duty. The fight involved a wrestler taking part in a tournament at Clackamas over the weekend. Thé
altercation began with the wrestler and a woman and when a man came to her aid, the fight broke out.
Jan. 23,2002: Afternoon. Public Safety responded to a call about a girl who pushed her boyfriend and he pushed her back.
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