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Murder of Martha Morrison

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Martha Morrison
Born1956
DisappearedSeptember, 1974 (aged 17) Portland, Oregon
StatusRemains identified on July 13, 2015
DiedSeptember, 1974
Cause of deathHomicide
Body discoveredOctober 12, 1974 Vancouver, Washington
Known forFormerly unidentified homicide victim
Height5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)

Martha Marie Morrison (1956 – September 1974) was a 17-year-old American girl who was murdered in 1974.

On October 12, 1974, unidentified human remains were found in Dole Valley near Vancouver, Washington.[1] In 2015, the remains were identified by means of DNA profiling as those of Martha Morrison.[2]

Her body was found next to the remains of Carol Platt Valenzuela, who was identified shortly afterward.[3][1] Her murder currently is unsolved, and tips are encouraged to be submitted to law enforcement.[4]

Background

Morrison reportedly grew up in foster care while living near Eugene, Oregon. She attended Roosevelt High School and the Corvallis Farm School.[5][3] Subsequently, she went to Arizona to participate in the Job Corps program.[3][6]

She had a history of drug use and of running away from the homes of both her biological and foster families, and the Corvallis Farm School as well.[5][3][1] She was last seen leaving her apartment, which she and a man had rented. The couple reportedly quarreled, and Martha subsequently went missing.[6][7]

Investigation and identification

Subsequent to the discovery of the remains in 1974, the bones of the victim were examined nationwide in hopes of identifying the victim. All examinations were unsuccessful.[4][5] Forensic facial reconstructions were created of the victim from both frontal and profile views and released through a newspaper, but were not recognized by the public. The victim's physical description was also listed, including the fact that she had curly-textured hair and dental hygiene problems. The victim also appeared to have given birth at some point, although it is unknown if Morrison had ever had a child.[8]

Both Morrison and the unidentified victim were eventually entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, which specializes in locating missing people and identifying human remains.[7][2] Ten missing people were excluded as possible identities of the remains until the identification was made in July 2015.[2] Morrison, while a missing person, was ruled out as the possible identity of an unidentified female homicide victim, nicknamed "Orange Socks", who was estimated to have been between fifteen and thirty when she was located in Texas in 1979.[9] DNA was obtained from Martha Morrison's sister and half-brother which was used to develop a genetic profile to compare to potential matches. After the testing was complete, it was compared to the currently unidentified remains, whose DNA profile was developed in 2012. Similarities were noted, yet a definite match was not established.[4][3]

Morrison's skull and some other bones were mislabeled as Valenzuela's while they were in storage. Investigator Nikki Costa said this was one of the reasons why the remains were unidentified for so long. In 2011, this problem was discovered when the skull's teeth were noticed to be different from Valenzuela's teeth.[4][10]

Costa stated in an interview conducted after the identification that a great deal of time had been spent on the investigation, including following leads that may have linked the case to serial killer Gary Ridgway[4] She continued to work on the two cases.

After previous unsuccessful testing, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children stated they would pay for an exhumation of the victim's father in order to retrieve DNA and compare it with the unidentified remains.[5] The result of this last test was a near-certain indication that the remains were those of Martha Morrison (probability greater than 99%).[4][5]

Investigators continue to look at Warren Leslie Forest, who is a person of interest. Forest is currently in prison for the murder of Krista Kay Blake in July 1974. He was arrested on October 2, 1974 — just ten days before the bodies of Martha Morrison and Carol Platt Valenzuela were found in Dole Valley.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "1974 remains positively ID'd as Martha Morrison". KOIN 6 News. Media General. LIN Television Corporation. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "NamUs UP # 10045". identifyus.org. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 28 March 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e Terry, Lynn (8 October 2014). "Clark County homicide from 1974 could be linked to missing Portland teen". The Oregonian. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Gillespie, Emily (13 July 2015). "Remains of homicide victim found near Vancouver identified after 41 years". The Columbian. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e Parks, Casey (14 July 2015). "After 41 years, investigators identify remains of Clark County teen homicide victim". The Oregonian. OregonLive. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Case File: 3470DFOR". doenetwork.org. The Doe Network. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  7. ^ a b "NamUs MP # 14946". identifyus.org. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  8. ^ O'Neill, Bill (29 November 1974). "Slain Woman Described". The Columbian. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  9. ^ "NamUs UP # 8056". identifyus.org. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  10. ^ "DNA testing helps identify remains of woman missing for 41 years". Fox 12 Oregon. Fox News. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.

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