Saturday, May 5, 2012

Who Murdered the Camp Fire Girl?

Candy Rogers kidnapping and murder was never solved
by Robert A. Waters

On March 6, 1959, in Spokane, Washington, nine-year-old Candice Elaine "Candy" Rogers vanished while going door-to-door selling mints for her Camp Fire Girl troop.

Late that afternoon, when Candy didn’t return home, her mother reported her missing. The Spokane Police Department immediately launched an all-out search. Lawmen and volunteers swept the area for miles around. Known sex offenders, called “perverts” by the media, were questioned. Helicopters from nearby Fairchild Air Force Base circled above the search grid in a desperate effort to spot the girl--tragically, one of the choppers crashed killing three airmen.

Twelve hours into the hunt for the missing girl, searchers located six boxes of mints scattered beneath a nearby bridge. The discovery seemed to foreshadow what was to come.

Seventeen days after Candy disappeared, hunters found a pair of girl’s shoes in a remote field. Police were called and, after a brief search, located the remains of the missing girl. Candy lay in a clump of bushes, her body covered by pine boughs and brush.

United Press International reported that the body had been discovered twelve miles from her home. "Her legs were tied together at the ankles with parts of her own slip," the article read. "[Candy] had been raped and death was due to strangulation, Coroner William Jones said. Parts of her slip were found around her throat. The body, fully clothed except for her shoes and red leotard, was completely covered with underbrush except for one knee. Death probably came on the night she disappeared, Jones said."

Spokane Police Chief Clifford Payne, clearly shaken and angry, spoke to reporters. “We'll put every available man on the case and keep them there until the thing is solved,” he said. “We know what we're looking for now. We're looking for a maniac."

Candy's mother, Elaine, a divorcee, collapsed when told the news.

Hundreds of leads poured in. Police checked out an Idaho mental patient named Donald Dean Stokes, but he was quickly eliminated. Tommy Lee Miller told friends that he'd murdered a girl in Spokane, but police determined that he’d been in Colorado at the time of the kidnapping. In Sacramento, another former mental patient, William Edward Beckwith, went on an hours-long “joy ride” with a thirteen-year-old girl. After arresting him for kidnapping, police questioned Beckwith about Candy Rogers, then released him to a mental institution.

Investigators seemed to be swimming upstream. Leo Freed, described as a “floater,” who regularly faked illnesses to receive public hospitalization, was questioned and released. Two suspects committed suicide after Candy’s body was found, but neither could be definitively linked to the crime.

Several deranged men confessed to the murder, but police eliminated them all. Over the years, every promising lead wilted under the glare of police scrutiny.

Decades passed, and still the murder remained unsolved.

Then, in 2001, a DNA profile developed from Candy’s clothing renewed hope that the murderer might yet be identified. Police began collecting genetic samples from major suspects. One, a convicted serial killer named Hugh Bion Morse, had long been considered the prime suspect in Candy’s death. A drifter who'd murdered two Spokane women in a cross-country killing spree, Morse had attempted to molest two young girls who were selling Girl Scout cookies. Although he admitted killing three women, the murderer always denied any connection with Candy Rogers. In 2003, Morse died in prison. When his DNA was compared to that found on Candy's clothing, it didn’t match.

Several other suspects have been eliminated by DNA. Others are still under suspicion.

Fifty-three years after Candy Rogers walked away from her home into a nightmare, the outrage still haunts the Spokane Police Department. While the unknown murderer may be dead, investigators still search for answers.

17 comments:

Chevella said...

I have tried to talk to the detective, but he's prejudice. I know who carries the murders DNA. I have the damn answers to everything that day.

Chevella said...

My sister and I were with Candy Rogers that afternoon. We were not allowed to cross the railroad tracks until she came to get us. We lived right next door to her. The tracks were on the east side of my house, between my house and the little store. I saw the man hiding on the far side of the store. My sister went 1st into the store, me right behind her, Candy's hand on my back. She said she would be right in front of the store for when we came out. That she was going to sell cookies to him. He took her. The next day we moved, Into a house that my mom and stepdaughter had just bought.
This was premeditated murder. He knew he'd get away with it. And he did. The police will never catch him. Only I can prove this

Chevella said...

My sister and I were with Candy Rogers that afternoon. We were not allowed to cross the railroad tracks until she came to get us. We lived right next door to her. The tracks were on the east side of my house, between my house and the little store. I saw the man hiding on the far side of the store. My sister went 1st into the store, me right behind her, Candy's hand on my back. She said she would be right in front of the store for when we came out. That she was going to sell cookies to him. He took her. The next day we moved, Into a house that my mom and stepdaughter had just bought.
This was premeditated murder. He knew he'd get away with it. And he did. The police will never catch him. Only I can prove this

Chevella said...

PS. SHE TRUSTED HIM. SHE KNEW WHO HE WAS.

delsom said...

I read your story and thought I would send you an excerpt from my biography I'm writing.

" I would never have been surprised to find out Jim would have done something real bad. In March of 1959 nine year old Candy Rogers was kidnaped, molested and strangled. We were convinced Jim had something to do with it. In 2001 they were able to get some DNA from the evidence found at the scene. The Spokane Police were looking for anyone that might have information. I called with no response. Kathy who was Jim’s biological daughter called and was just shrugged off. Kathy had some very good information for them and had Jim’s DNA. I will never understand why they wouldn’t listen to her. My mother also believed Jim was guilty but was thankful they didn’t want to talk to Kathy. She was worried it would be a media circus and didn’t want to face it. To this day I truly believe Jim Gobin killed Candy Rogers.

Unknown said...

I was a Camp Fire Girl in Spokane at the time of the murder. This murder had a huge impact on me. I am now 63 and I have not forgotten her name or the suspense of looking for her body. i hope they find the killer.

Unknown said...

who was this man candy knew??

Unknown said...

Who???

spotscrazy said...

I walked home with Candy from school that day along with another girl

Unknown said...

I’ve been researching this case for a while now. It’s driving me nuts. Please if you have any evidence or something that will help this struggling case move along contact the police and tell them everything you know. If they don’t listen to you post your story somewhere or go to different police stations. My grandmother knew candy rodgers and wants to find who killed her. Please. Don’t you want everyone to know the truth. I hope you give your evidence. Good luck.

Unknown said...

I’ve been researching this case for awhile now and it driving me nuts. Please if you have any evidence or know something we all don’t contact the police. Don’t give up if that one deceptive didn’t listen to you. Your better than that. You could give candy’s family justice. Please. Help this struggling case move along and give Candy Rogers peace. I know this saying is juvenile but yolo remember that you don’t want to regret the things you didn’t do.please if you have evidence use it. My grandmother knew candy Rodgers and wants to find her killer as well. Good luck! Ps do what’s right please.

anya romanov said...

@Chevella who is the prejudiced detective you tried to speak to? my late grandfather worked the case and i'm curious to know

Crystyne said...

Anyone know when her birthday was? I can't find it anywhere

Unknown said...

High my name is breayan lane and I'm 22 years old I use to camp out here around lake tah creek in spokane wa. I have found a girlscouts pin. It has an stamp on the back the letter stamped is the lowercase letter(r).
I tried to Google search it but it said that it was just a vintage 1960 girlscout pin . I feel a very strong connection between the the pendent and this article that I just read. My email is breayanlane0@gmail.com and I am very interested to see if this may help I definitely

Unknown said...

Ya I remember her name my ex husband was around her he was friends with her.

Steena said...

I doubt you will see this 8 years later, but they are going to announce tomorrow who killed Candy. I'm curious to hear if it's who you think it is.

Steena said...

I doubt you will see this 8 years later, but they are going to announce tomorrow who killed Candy. I'm curious to hear if it's who you think it is.