Brooke Wilberger remains located~thanks Cory~

Oh my........They found the body of Brooke Wilberger. She went missing in 2004. Joel Courtney is in jail for her murder.

Prayers to Brooke's family please?

Will do cory. I am looking up the case right now. Thanks for letting us know.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The remains of a 19-year-old student who disappeared more than five years ago have been found, and the man charged in her death pleaded guilty Monday. Brooke Wilberger vanished in May 2004 while she was working for her sister outside an apartment complex near Oregon State University in Corvallis.

Prosecutors charged 42-year-old Joel Patrick Courtney with aggravated murder, even though Wilberger's body had not been found.

On Monday, the Benton County District Attorney's Office said Courtney agreed to plead guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in exchange for providing information about where Wilberger's body was located.

It was not immediately clear where her body was found.

Court documents released last year revealed details showing that Courtney was in Corvallis when Wilberger disappeared and that the green van he was driving was spotted by several people, including an OSU employee who identified him from a photo lineup. Officials said that Wilberger's DNA was found inside the van.

There were also blond hairs in a hair tie inside a personal duffel bag that Courtney carried. Courtney was extradited from New Mexico to Oregon in April 2008 following his conviction in 2007 in New Mexico for the unrelated sexual assault and kidnapping of a foreign exchange student at the University of New Mexico.

He was sentenced to 18 years for that crime, which was remarkably similar to the Wilberger disappearance - a young blonde woman with blue eyes abducted near a college campus.

Courtney was staying with his wife's parents in Portland when Wilberger vanished. They told detectives that he left their home early the morning of her disappearance and did not return until late the following night.

http://www.katu.com/news/local/60012357.html

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The man accused of abducting and murdering a Venteta, Ore., woman in 2004 has pleaded guilty in a deal that led police to the woman's remains and will put the man behind bars for the rest of his life.

Brooke Wilberger disappeared May 24, 2004, from Corvallis.

On Monday, Joel Patrick Courtney pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and was sentenced to prison for life without the possibility of release for the 19-year-old Bringham Young University student's death. The deal spares Courtney from the death penalty.

Prosecutors had charged 42-year-old Joel Patrick Courtney with aggravated murder, even though Wilberger's body had not been found.

On Monday, the Benton County District Attorney's Office said Courtney agreed to plead guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in exchange for providing information about where Wilberger's body was located.

It was not immediately clear where her body was found.

Court documents released last year revealed details showing that Courtney was in Corvallis when Wilberger disappeared and that the green van he was driving was spotted by several people, including an OSU employee who identified him from a photo lineup.

Officials said that Wilberger's DNA was found inside the van. There were also blond hairs in a hair tie inside a personal duffel bag that Courtney carried.

Courtney was extradited from New Mexico to Oregon in April 2008 following his conviction in 2007 in New Mexico for the unrelated sexual assault and kidnapping of a foreign exchange student at the University of New Mexico.

He was sentenced to 18 years for that crime, which was remarkably similar to the Wilberger disappearance - a young blonde woman with blue eyes abducted near a college campus.

Courtney was staying with his wife's parents in Portland when Wilberger vanished.

They told detectives that he left their home early the morning of her disappearance and did not return until late the following night


http://www.kval.com/news/60012167.html

by Cory Today at 1:39 pm

Oh my........They found the body of Brooke Wilberger. She went missing in 2004. Joel Courtney is in jail for her murder.

Prayers to Brooke's family please?

OMG, they did?? How sad and what a sad day for her parents. They have been looking for their daughters remains for so long now! My heart definitely goes out to them today. :littleangel:

Finally her family will have her back with them, where she has belonged for 5 long years.

How horrific!!!!

What a beautiful girl she was!! At least her parents will now have some closure!!

It must be bitter-sweet for the Wilbergers. At least they can FINALLY put Brooke to rest properly.
I'm sitting here with her picture hanging next to my computer - it's been there for a very long time. Such a beautiful girl. Rest in Peace Brooke. :littleangel:

Cory, did you know her? Did she live close to you?

Linda Marie has started a thread in the lounge.

No Wrap I didn't know Brooke personally....although when you follow these cases for a time, you feel like you knew them. I remember when she went missing. She had been missing for about a month when I had the vigil in 04. I remember starting the vigil out with a prayer for Brooke and her family. Corvallis (where she disappeared from) is about 180 miles from here. As for her picture I have hanging here.....I got
a "findbrook.com" wristband and the picture was with it. I hung it up when I got it and have never taken it down. She really is beautiful isn't she? Sad.

K....I'll check out the lounge!!!

It breaks your heart for everyone that loved this beautiful young lady. Such a sad ending but at least she will be back with her loved ones.

I was curious as to what woods they found her in? When I was watching the news last night they mentioned that he took her to the woods, sexually assaulted her, then hung out there that night doing drugs then took her back into town the next day for some reason, then brought her back to the woods, assaulted her again, then he killed her
I can't even begin to imagine the fear she had! She was such a you beautiful smart young lady that was taken from this world WAY too early and by a man who is pure evil! :evil:

I am missing all the news on this young woman. How do they know he took her to the woods, sexually assaulted her, then hung out there that night doing drugs then took her back into town the next day for some reason, then brought her back to the woods assaulted her again, then he killed her?

here is a link to the press release on the details of what he did to her :(

http://www.kgw.com/video/index.html?nvid=400499

OK, found out that he left her duct taped in the woods and HE went back into town to get something to eat. He didn't bring her into town with him.. so horrible!! :pale:

here is a video of Brooks Mother.. Man she seems sooo strong!

http://www.kgw.com/video/raw-index.html?nvid=400497

Two governors enabled plea deal to close Wilberger case


SANTA FE – Joel Courtney will not face a death penalty trial. He will die behind bars in either New Mexico or Oregon. The Wilberger family now has the remains of their murdered daughter.

It was ultimately an "Executive Agreement" between Gov. Bill Richardson and Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski that allowed the five-year-old case to end in this manner for the 2004 murder of Brooke Wilberger at the hands of Joel Patrick Courtney.

The agreement, which was negotiated by the Benton County District Attorney and had the support of the Wilberger family. With directions from Courtney, her remains were located and positively identified over the weekend.

Courtney has already been returned to New Mexico to serve the remainder of his 18-year prison sentence for an unrelated kidnapping and rape of a University of New Mexico student in 2004. Following the New Mexico sentence, Courtney will return to Oregon to serve his sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_092209_news_courtney_executive_agreement.1a60d8370.html

mommyof3kids wrote:here is a video of Brooks Mother.. Man she seems sooo strong!

http://www.kgw.com/video/raw-index.html?nvid=400497

Where does she get her inner strength. She is something, an inspiration.

BTW I knew I wasn't crazy when I heard that he did in fact have her tied up in his van when he came back into town to eat before taking her back out to the woods and murdering her.

"Courtney approached Wilberger, trying to make it appear he was delivering an envelope, then threatened her with a knife and forced her into the van, Haroldson said.

Courtney bound her with duct tape and drove into the remote Coast Range but returned to Corvallis when he got hungry, with Wilberger in his van."


http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009909220322

This whole story is like a nightmare. That poor girl. May she RIP and her family find some peace knowing she is in heaven.

Obviously 18 years was not long enough to lock this guy away after his first conviction. He should have been locked away for life. We would not be mourning the loss of an innocent victim if he were still behind bars! If he had a brand on his forehead...SO for sex offender, maybe she would have stepped away from him and his envelope. IMO a sex offender should lose all rights to privacy, forever.

I am looking at this beautiful young lady flying on our home page.

You are so wonderful LM!! Man, I look at her beautiful face and think about how much her family must miss her sooooooo much and especially through the Holiday season!!! My heart goes out to her family, as well as all the other victims families we all discuss on here!!! God Bless you all!!!

I just watched "Dateline" this evening, and they had they had a two hour special on Brooke Wilberger, and how they found her killer. Wow! Really amazing how it all just "happened" - I can't help but see how God finally brought this monster to justice. It's such a sad yet happy time for her family - sad that she is not alive, and yet happy that her killer has been brought to justice. I pray for continued healing & peace in their lives~

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/

I also saw Dateline tonight and it really was amazing how everything just seemed to come together to find her killer and then to finally get her killer to talk about what he did to her and to give the location of her body. What an animal that man is. At least her family finally knows the truth and were able to bring their daughter/sister home.

I agree! It was also amazing to see his transformation from a smiling, good-looking "family man" to a scowling, unattractive, pudgy inmate!!

OMG, I totally agree Rainbow! He really did look like a happy family man in those pictures w/ the wife and kids and good looking. By the time the trails came about he sure was an unhappy looking creepy thing. Amazing!

And, thank God for that kind woman in Albuquerque who allow that victim to get in her car and help her. Can you imagine? She escaped and was running down the street naked. Most people would have driven by.

And, kudo's to Gov. Bill Richardson and the Albuq. Police Dept. for going that extra mile! :cheers:

I agree, Wrap! If it hadn't been for that woman helping that naked girl, the girl would most likely have been murdered. And... they would never have caught Courtney! He really had quite the ego, didn't he? I don't think he thought that he would ever get caught!!

BJ, thanks for those pics! I was looking for some from his younger years, but couldn't find any.

Thanks for the video, Wrap! I really admire Brooke's mother - such an example of dignity & grace. One thing that scares me is that this killer (Courtney) was raised in a "good" home (according to his sister), and was a "family" man. He didn't seem like the kind of guy to become a killer! You just never know, I guess.

Something triggered him, but like the prosecutor in Albuquerque said, "You just don't start grabbing women off the street at age 40." He has probably gotten away with several other rapes in NM & FL. He seems to hop around like Ted Bundy use to do. That is another one that you would have never in a million years figure to be a serial killer.

I watched Dateline too. My biggest feeling was what a wonderful woman her mother is!! She has a beautiful smile. Im so glad she can use it! What CLASS!!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I watched Dateline last night as well.

:thanks: LM, for the above post!!

Rainbow wrote:Thanks for the video, Wrap! I really admire Brooke's mother - such an example of dignity & grace. One thing that scares me is that this killer (Courtney) was raised in a "good" home (according to his sister), and was a "family" man. He didn't seem like the kind of guy to become a killer! You just never know, I guess.

No kidding. You always hear killers lamenting their terrible abusive childhood, they use a terrible home life as the reason they turned to murder. Makes you wonder what twisted him into the person that he became.
Thanks for the pictures.

I wonder if he was spoiled? I think he was the only boy, and looked very cute when he was younger. I also wonder what his father was like - maybe he had some sexual perversion that he kept hidden. It sometimes ends up coming out in their kids!

Wrapitup wrote:Something triggered him, but like the prosecutor in Albuquerque said, "You just don't start grabbing women off the street at age 40." He has probably gotten away with several other rapes in NM & FL. He seems to hop around like Ted Bundy use to do. That is another one that you would have never in a million years figure to be a serial killer.

I heard someone on the Dateline show compare him to Ted Bundy, so last night I googled info on Ted Bundy. I had always heard that he was raised in a "perfect" Christian home. But, I was surprised to learn that he was born in a home for unwed mothers (some think that his father may have actually been his grandfather!), and then his mom eventually married some other man (John Bundy, I think). Anyways, it sounds like there were a lot of warning signs with Ted, that someone should have been paying attention to! Here is more info on him:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Bundy

Rainbow wrote:I wonder if he was spoiled? I think he was the only boy, and looked very cute when he was younger. I also wonder what his father was like - maybe he had some sexual perversion that he kept hidden. It sometimes ends up coming out in their kids!

Wonder if he was their Golden Boy? Like the very spoiled rotten Scott Peterson. R.I.P. Brooke. She would be proud of her family, a real class act.
This guy sort of reminds me of Mark Hacking with the shape of his bald head.

I saw the dateline show recently - had it stashed away in my dvr, but it was very touching.

rebel belle

Thank you lindamarie

I watched a show on this beauty queen. That SOB should be infront of the firing squad..