Several parts conclude with a cliffhanger, effectively designed to keep the reader reading. Chasing ghosts that will forever haunt - Nieman Foundation John Arthur. I wanted to show that at this point Ackroyd was a very sick man. Shes finally believed and theres satisfaction that comes with that. Two of the victims brothers have quietly suffered for years. You dont describe the rape, instead skipping over graphic details. Pretty bleak. The details throughout are extraordinarily vivid. Ackroyd led investigators into the brush, about a half-mile off the road where Kaye had gone running the previous winter. We interviewed key witnesses and reviewed thousands of pages of police and court records, some of them previously secret, to hold Ackroyd accountable and give some measure of justice to the women he attacked. Four years after they started, Benson and Snow had strung together enough evidence to take the double murder to a grand jury. John Arthur - IMDb It was produced by senior staff writer Noelle Crombie, videographer Dave Killen and photographer Beth Nakamura, who worked side-by-side for nearly two years an unusual arrangement given the buyouts and layoffs that have hollowed out Americas newsrooms, including those in Oregon. During the course of my reporting, I heard several references to this infamous Cline Falls attack, which took place around the time of Marlenes rape and Kayes murder. It provided readers with a sense of place but also helped propel the story along. The beginning because you have to engage and explain but not overpromise, all the while getting the tone right. A young deputy played Kaye. In it, he thanked me for telling the stories of Ackroyds other victims. Show All. This time you dramatize the action instead of summarizing it. Its dramatic and I wanted to draw it out for the reader. Reporting on this series was emotionally grueling. Annie was born on August 28 1876, in Ashfield Farnley Yorkshire. To some, she seemed lost, almost invisible. Now we knew that he was definitively linked to this little girls case. How did you decide which characters to include in the epilogue? It took a lot of force to break them. I t was the last time any cop talked to Ackroyd. So you dont know where shes at, he asked. It was late spring. They were turned over to her husband and cremated. One man committed all the crimes and he is held responsible for the first time here. Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian/OregonLive. I looked for ways to make that as seamless as possible. So we had to make clear to the reader why we were telling these stories. Its also a newspaper story, not a book. His stretch of it twisted through Bend, logging towns, Corvallis and on to the coast. It moved around a bit until it landed here. An acquaintance told a detective how he once watched in horror as Ackroyd, then a young man, hacked up puppies using a machete, saying the dogs were his and nobody else could have them. Her husband was abusive and she drifted from Ackroyd. Ackroyd was later charged with Kaye's murder -- the only killing he was ever prosecuted for. Marlene Gabrielsen was raped by John Ackroyd in 1978. Cops did a thorough timeline of Kayes morning so that detail came from those records. The conference room where we met to discuss this story features a wall-sized whiteboard. One of those visits stood out: Shed discovered him fondling himself while looking at Oui, an explicit mens magazine sold at the store. I also was liberated by knowing the companion photos and video would fill in many of the details in a different way. He lies down in the dirt and stares up: Is this what his sister saw before she died? In 1992, he was sentenced to five life terms in prison for the abduction and murder of Kaye Turner. She thinks those factors played a role in their handling of the investigation. Dried blood covered his arms and hands. Most of what I came up with centered on Ackroyd. Months later, I wrote him another letter. You were able, one wrote, to give voice to so many people who have largely gone unheard (until now). If you have experienced sexual violence and need support, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. [2], His life had changed by early 1992. Then he started swinging at her with his hand.. The district attorney delivered his decision on whether to prosecute. And a seat cover, they said, could have been in Ackroyds state rig. I never got a clear answer about why it was sealed or who made that request. The report was a summary of what he told police. George was born on March 29 1875, in East Bierley, Yorkshire. Wasnt it strange that he was the last person to see Kaye and Rachanda alive? Ackroyd was raised in the small logging town of Sweet Home, Oregon. He said he didnt know. A report from the trial in the Bend (OR) Bulletin. They were still after him when Ackroyd died alone in his prison cell two years ago. This is another of the few times when we read extended dialogue, a hallmark of classic narrative. She listened to pop stars Debbie Gibson and Wilson Phillips in her bedroom and teased her brother, who was her protector and playground companion. The highway worker had hurt Rachanda, stuffed her into a garbage bag and hauled her away, Linn County Sheriffs Detective Jim Salsbery said during one of their interviews. She clearly is trying to process why a mother would wait so long to report that her child has disappeared from a remote highway compound. The Turner case file filed a metal file cabinet and was a reporters dream as far as narrative details. I listened to them all, some multiple times. Margaret (Haberman) agreed and suggested that we pare them down to a manageable number for publication. When I outlined each days story, I focused on cliffhangers, kickers and which scenes could propel the narrative. They led her into a small room with a desk. By now, investigators knew who they were dealing with. Over the course of hours of interviews with The Oregonian/OregonLive, she unburdened herself of every ugly detail. Parts of Melissas body were gone, probably dragged away by animals. I think the local DA wanted to take another look at this cluster of unsolved cases involving young women, and Melissa and Sheila were among them. Now, two years after Rachanda went missing without a trace from the family home, the young women who left a camping trip were dead. There were no somber words from the bench about justice served, no deathbed confessions. When it snapped, he smacked her repeatedly with his open hand. It was on one of them that hed raped Marlene Gabrielsen a year before Kaye Turner disappeared. She also knew he was from Sweet Home, not far from where Karen had used the pay phone to call a friend in the Midwest, just one year before Kaye Turner died. On a personal level, after the project ran, the Northwest Film Center hosted a free screening of the documentary. Some workers used them to keep cool in summer months. The reason for concealing the documents and who insisted on secrecy have been lost to time. Thats when it got broken, over her rear. Hanna told police hed seen both the highway worker and the runner in Camp Sherman that morning. Theyd noticed that Ackroyds truck was still parked outside and his work rig wasnt there. I would describe it as unsatisfying and extraordinary. By then, The Oregonian/OregonLive also was investigating Ackroyd. The reporting team pored over thousands of police reports and court records, interviewed dozens of witnesses, survivors and investigators and traveled out of state to confront a critical source who hadnt responded to their requests for information. Murderer John Arthur Ackroyd - YouTube And to explain why this story has currency and impact today. The judge didnt remember the circumstances and the lawyers for each side pointed fingers at one another. Earlier in the year, shed finished a marathon, run two half-marathons and climbed Mount Washington and Three Fingered Jack. Thats when it got broken, over her rear. And Bill Hanlon, the prosecutor who helped put Ackroyd away. Linda Ackroyd, who now goes by the last name Monville, says she doesnt know if Ackroyd molested her daughter. Why the shift? Margaret (Haberman) agreed and suggested that we pare them down to a manageable number for publication. She woke to find his fingers squeezed tight around her legs as he dragged her out of the truck. Covering thought leadership in journalism, 2023 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College, It was pure serendipity. At this point in the story, I didnt want to reveal too much about why the cops were taking another look at Marlenes rape. Had police believed her, none of the subsequent murders committed by Ackroyd would likely have occurred. You shift now to the killer. Was it easy to get him to talk to you? Karens mother, Violet Gillmore, long believed Ackroyd was behind her daughters disappearance. Kayes husband Noel remarried. I had to rely on their description of what he said. Ackroyd did little to look for her and later picked up Linda from work. Now the district attorney could use his sisters death to keep Ackroyd from hurting anyone else. I know from watching Dave Killens powerful documentary that much of what you summarize in the story, especially peoples voices, appears there instead of the print narrative. At other times, friends saw her with a black eye and a wound from where hed ripped out a patch of her hair. New Zealand. [5] That beating she got was over, over the top. Ackroyd was charged with Rachanda's murder in 2013, and pleaded no contest. On Christmas Eve morning in 1978, she went out for a run in Camp Sherman, where she, her husband and friends planned to spend the holiday. How do we create a person's profile? How did you track down Laront? So while I did the interviews, reporting and wrote the stories, their work helped elevate the project into something pretty special. He runs in Kayes memory every Christmas Eve. It was my way of saying the state felt they had enough to prove this case and thats as close as this case would get to justice. This is a crucial moment where Ackroyd is confronted with one of these crimes, in this case Rachandas disappearance. Ackroyd, now 63, went over the timeline of the day Rachanda disappeared, spinning the same old lies. Why? I was taken aback by how much emotion and support there was for Marlene in the room. Then Rachanda Pickle went missing from the desolate highway compound where she lived, never to be seen again. Or go back to the people left behind, particularly Marlene, who had lived to tell her story and felt heard for the first time. I never got a clear answer about why it was sealed or who made that request. This is another of the few times when we read extended dialogue, a hallmark of classic narrative. What had the original investigators overlooked? Ackroyd earned low grades in school; his high school diploma was marked special education. He was a loner, bullied and beaten by classmates. We had a lot of discussion about the ending. I heard the river on one of those trips and took the liberty of saying he would have heard it too if his windows were rolled down. I remember him spanking her over one of those old school windup alarm clocks and it got broke and he was trying to fix it in and stuff and him and mom were talking about it and they were both getting heatedmom said to line them up and spank them until (one confesses) They were getting ready to line us up. Im not sure what the reader gains from reading a detailed description of a rape. PDF Ghosts of Highway 20 - oregonlive The lead prosecutor has a formidable memory and kept meticulous notes that were part of the case file. The dialogue and scene-setting details how Ackroyd tapped his leg with his knife, for instance came from interviews with Marlene. I did not do nothing. He mentioned it only after a pair of state police troopers approached him a couple of weeks later. Then theres Ackroyds first known victim. Ackroyd's step-daughter Rachanda Pickle went missing in 1990. She was alone with Ackroyd, a big man who reeked of sweat and freshly cut wood. Why? Beth Nakamura/ The Oregonian/OregonLive. katelyn akins disappearance. Her jeans appeared to have been cut. Without the film, do you think you would use more voices? Kelley Benham French read one of those footnoted drafts and suggested that we publish them all. We spent time with Marlene, the lone survivor. The day after Christmas, experienced trackers whod joined the search made a disturbing discovery in a clearing near the area where Ackroyd saw Kaye. Account & Lists Returns & Orders. Find books like John Arthur Ackroyd, Serial Killer: A collection of True Crime from the world's largest community of readers. A cop once mentioned to me that Ackroyd always had a bunch of these candies in his pocket and would pop them into his mouth during interrogations. Even before hunters had stumbled upon the teens remains, Ackroyd told a friend: They are assuming its me.. The details surrounding the assault are terrifying enough. He had diabetes and a bad heart. It provided readers with a sense of place but also helped propel the story along. Sometime after he moved, Ackroyd was in his truck with the daughter of an old friend. They could prove only a single case Turners 1978 murder. But its worth noting that it took many years for this particular serendipity to play out. A father himself now, Byron gets a catch in his voice when he talks about it. Would he give up the body? I asked him for an interview. Kaye headed out alone, her feet pounding a two-lane camp road tinged red from volcanic ash. He drove off as she banged frantically on the door. Trauma had seared these details into her memory. Still, police seemed skeptical. I asked Marlene to describe what she saw and smelled when Ackroyd yanked her from the truck. Her calendar at work noted recent liaisons with the men. I built this profile from those various sources. Kelley Benham French read one of those footnoted drafts and suggested that we publish them all. Marlene found a friend to care for her baby, pumped breast milk and wrote out a napping schedule. There was stuff I wanted to say about them that didnt really fit in elsewhere so this seemed like a good spot for that. They dont want the stigma and the shame associated with these crimes. Now, a woman had gone missing, triggering a massive search that made headlines clear to Portland: Husband fears kidnap: Turner searchers losing hope, one read in The Oregonian four days later. It was a great detail that I needed to work into the story. John, byname John Lackland, French Jean sans Terre, (born c. 1166died October 18/19, 1216, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England), king of England from 1199 to 1216. His Stepdaughter Vanished. What He Said Was Disturbing It was so essential to the chronology that the cash-strapped county that tried Ackroyd years later flew in a Timex exec from the East Coast to testify about the watch and its timekeeping. He announced that hed found Kayes remains in the nearby woods while hunting rabbits with his dog, though as a seasoned hunter, he must have known the area was an unlikely choice for spotting rabbits. It was as close to a breakthrough as theyd get. How could they forget? Help advance the Nieman Foundations mission to promote and elevate the standards of journalism by making a donation. That day, she tied her hair back and pulled on her green Levis. I dont know that its the theme. Read "John Arthur Ackroyd, Serial Killer" by Ruth Canton available from Rakuten Kobo. I asked her about his clothing. His high school diploma indicated that he had been a "special education" student. He is most likely one of the Ghost of The Ghosts of Highway. It was the last time any cop talked to Ackroyd. He was raised in Sweet Home, a modest logging town along Highway 20. Like Kayes watch and her hair in the birds nest, this Fireball detail is one I knew I would use. He had an older and younger sister. The language of the story is spare and lean. They were there because they were investigating the killing of Kaye Turner, the woman who is the subject of Day 2. You felt a tremendous obligation to the victims and their loved ones in telling this story. Each of the multimedia elements in powerful in its own right. US Highway 20, 1976-1992. For a moment, she considered how lucky she had been to escape unharmed. Peter Ackroyd CBE, FRSL (born 5 October 1949) is an English biographer, novelist and critic with a specialist interest in the history and culture of London. Source? She remembered looking up to see small flowers in bloom. Accused of felony theft as a teen, he opted to enlist in the Army and was stationed in Korea, Thailand and Germany, where he worked as a mechanic. This time you dramatize the action instead of summarizing it. janne. How did you decide on these and did they form part of the narrative strategy? Why the shift? The other man in the truck told police that Ackroyd wasnt the violent type and the woman was drunk. Their cases lingered in the communitys collective memory, and the local district attorney decided to reopen them in 2012, eager to identify potential suspects. I can hear him on the recording that the detective made. But these are long stories and I didnt want to lose readers, so it was a question of using scenes and descriptions that were most telling. Jane, then 24, was on her bicycle, headed home from a waitressing job when she noticed Ackroyd standing near his pickup parked along the side of the road in Camp Sherman. Its also a testament to the human need to find answers and how these disappearances and Ackroyd himself affected people who knew there had to be a connection. When cops went back to her years later, she apparently felt more at ease talking about what really happened. The district attorney said he was unable to talk about it something was prohibiting him. Stockpiles of cinder rock towered near the buildings inside the complex. She thinks those factors played a role in their handling of the investigation. Do you or any of the detectives have any suspicions why it was sealed? She said her son was shy around women. Vulnerable and adrift, Melissa and Sheila knew nothing of Ackroyds sinister background when he entered their lives. I knew I wanted to use this somewhere in this series. I checked that with Byron, Rachandas brother. For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for John Arthur Ackroyd . He married Emma Richardson on 30 July 1927, in Clayton, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom. Ed Gein - Cult of Weird He was the main suspect, but the case had vanished from local news reports even though her disappearance triggered one of the largest search efforts in the countys history. Shes an extremely meticulous editor who was always pushing me for the extra detail, to make the extra call. A thought skittered Yes, we saw Highway 20 as its own theme and character. If I put 50 dollars on a gamble that there wasnt punishment in a week I would lose that 50 dollars. When John snapped, it was scary. At one point, Kelley Benham French was a consultant on the series. The report was a summary of what he told police. But those relationships shifted over time. I know from watching Dave Killens powerful documentary that much of what you summarize in the story, especially peoples voices, appears there instead of the print narrative. My mom was yelling at John to stop. It was a single handwritten sentence. John Arthur Ackroyd, Serial Killer | Ruth Canton Book | Buy Now | at That friend was Roger Dale Beck. No one listened all those years ago. Disgusted, Weston went to find her husband, but Ackroyd was gone by the time the couple returned to confront him. Ackroyd was raised in the small logging town of Sweet Home, Oregon. She said he threatened to do to me exactly what they did to Kaye Turner.. She felt the cool blade of Ackroyds hunting knife against her neck. Why did you choose to end the narrative with Marlene Gabrielson? We needed to say that. Armed with an ax or hatchet, he attacked the women, both students at Yale University. If you have experienced sexual violence and need support, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. Gillmore knew Ackroyd had abducted a runner near Highway 20. Ackroyd dodged the accusations at the time, but police revived Kayes case in 1990 amid an unsuccessful investigation to solve the disappearance of Rachanda Pickle, Ackroyds 13-year-old stepdaughter. Yet neither man confessed to police. Its damning circumstantial evidence linking Ackroyd to the deaths of these two women, Melissa and Sheila. So I shifted to the women he encountered. She handed police a brown paper bag with clothes Marlene wore on the night of the attack. It moved around a bit until it landed here. Detectives moved on. The annotated version that ran online was a much shorter version of my own footnoted drafts of this story. John Arthur Ackroyd - Wikiwand I had his work, schooling and military records. Over two decades, four women disappeared and one was raped along the same stretch of road in rural Oregon. At the beginning of my reporting, I wrote a letter to Noel Turner, the husband of Kaye Turner who had disappeared on the Christmastime run. Will McAnulty, one of the detectives, suggested they run through the scene one more time. John Arthur Ackroyd, 1902 - 1997. When the men turned them down, Melissa and Sheila said theyd hitchhike instead. This is the story of, Rachanda Pickle, Kaye Turner, Marlene Gabrielson, Melissa Sanders, Shiela Swan, and potentially many others. I think the local DA wanted to take another look at this cluster of unsolved cases involving young women, and Melissa and Sheila were among them. Their stories have another connection: John Arthur Ackroyd.A highway mechanic who targeted women on the long stretch of highway that he know so well from endless trips.Calm and collected on the exterior, his personality hid the predator that raged within.
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