LINDSEY BAUM: 10-year-old abducted and murdered in McCleary, WA - June 2009 / Remains found 2017

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After a decade, knowing didn’t bring relief

Melissa Baum wears a silver necklace holding a small silver pendant with a ruby. Contained within the pendant are half the remains of her daughter, Lindsey.

It’s been 10 years since Lindsey disappeared during a 10-minute walk to her home in McCleary on a hot summer evening June 26, 2009. It’s been a little more than a year since Melissa Baum was told her daughter’s partial remains had been found hundreds of miles away in the middle of the state and she knew for sure her daughter had been murdered.

During the decade that followed her daughter’s disappearance, Melissa has seen her daughter’s friends grow up, graduate from high school, go to college, marry, have children of their own. Melissa has only the memories of the talkative, intelligent, strong-willed girl, frozen in time at the age of 10.

“I’m finally to a point where I’m able to reminisce about her,” said Baum. “I have lots of memories that I’m grateful for.” For example, “She had so much energy. She talked constantly, a mile a minute.”


Closure?

Melissa got a call in early May 2018 from Grays Harbor County Sheriff Rick Scott. He needed to see her, and right away.

“It felt a little odd, he sounded urgent, I didn’t understand,” she said, saying it normally took months to set up a meeting with investigators, and it had been more than eight years without much news to be shared.

The next day Scott and an FBI victim’s advocate showed up at her door.

“I knew there was more to it,” said Melissa, when she saw the raw emotion on Scott’s face. DNA testing from the FBI confirmed a portion of Lindsey’s remains had been found more than six months earlier in Eastern Washington.

“Over the years, when I heard of children’s remains being recovered, I remember feeling twinges of jealousy,” said Melissa. “I felt knowing would bring some relief. It’s been the exact opposite.” Anger, rage and frustration were the result for her.

Days later, at a press conference in McCleary, she spoke to the press and the community about the discovery of her daughter’s remains. She admits it is still difficult for her to visit the town; she moved some time after Lindsey’s disappearance but returned, not to McCleary, but to the area. She continues to grant interviews like this one and make television appearances. As difficult as they are for her, she knows there’s always a chance the right person will see them.

“It’s not over because she’s been found, not even close,” said Baum.


 
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Grays Harbor County man found guilty of 2003 rape of McCleary teen​

The suspect in the 2003 kidnapping and rape of a McCleary teenager was found guilty of first-degree rape by a jury Friday, the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office announced.

The statute of limitations for the kidnapping had already expired, but Bieker was found guilty of first-degree rape by a jury on Friday.
 

Grays Harbor County man found guilty of 2003 rape of McCleary teen​

The suspect in the 2003 kidnapping and rape of a McCleary teenager was found guilty of first-degree rape by a jury Friday, the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office announced.

The statute of limitations for the kidnapping had already expired, but Bieker was found guilty of first-degree rape by a jury on Friday.
There shouldn't be a statute of limitations for kidnapping. WTH?! That makes no sense to me.
 
Lindsey Baum murder: 13 years later, mom still hopes for arrest in her daughter's murder
Thirteen years later, a heartbroken mother is still waiting for justice in the murder of her 10-year-old daughter, Lindsey Baum.

It was a crime that shocked the entire close-knit community of McCleary.

After a massive investigation and search by law enforcement, the FBI and search teams, to this day, no one knows who killed the young girl.

For over a decade, the kidnapping and murder of Lindsey has weighed heavily on the heart of her mother, Melissa Baum, who carries what’s left of her daughter's ashes in a pendant on a necklace.

“I want to know where the rest of my daughter is, priority number one,” she said. “All I got back of her was a piece of her skull, and this is it, right here. This is my daughter.”

Sunday marks the worst day of the mom’s life.


Now Grays Harbor has fresh eyes on the case with four fairly new detectives.

They’re working hand-in-hand with the FBI, the state attorney general’s office, and now the Kittitas County Sheriff Department has received the case filings and will help with the investigation as well.

KOMO news asked the chief if he believes the case can be solved.

“I do think its solvable absolutely,” Wallace said. “My gut, it’s just someone knows something. And someone feeling comfortable enough to say, ‘this is what I know.’”

Lindsey’s mom keeps her daughter's spirit alive and is relentless because she said she still has hope.

“If I don’t do it, who’s going to get justice for Lindsey?” Baum said. “Who’s going to make sure her ten years on this earth count for something? I’m literally the only one she has.”

There is a reward of up to $40,000 for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
 
LINDSEY BAUM INVESTIGATION *

June 26th will make 13 years since the kidnapping and murder of Lindsey Baum in McCleary, Washington in 2009. In September of 2017, partial remains of Lindsey were located in the area of Manastash Road In Kittitas County, just west of Ellensburg, Washington.

Her disappearance resulted in a massive law enforcement response and investigation. The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) have continued to investigate this case since the day she was kidnapped. Numerous detectives and agencies from all over the area have spent countless hours trying to find the person or persons responsible for her kidnapping and murder.

The case is still an active investigation and a reward of up to $40,000 is being offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Investigators are certain there is information out there that could lead to an arrest in this investigation. If you have any information that could possibly help please call 360-964-1799 or email baumtips@graysharbor.us Lindsey and her family deserve closure. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers this weekend.

Chief of Investigations Darrin Wallace

 
From Lindsey's mom on Facebook:

13 years ago today was a beautiful sunny first Friday of Summer vacation. I woke up to this beautiful face full of excitement. I had no way of knowing that before the day was over, she would be gone forever!
Her life was stolen by a MONSTER that dumped her alone in the woods!
I will NOT STOP HUNTING THIS MONSTER EVER!
Someone knows something. IF that someone has on ounce of humanity they will speak up!
It could have been your beautiful only daughter! As long as this MONSTER goes undetected, your daughter could be next. Never think it can’t happen to you because I guarantee you that it most certainly can!
There will be NO PEACE until there is JUSTICE!
💔


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From Lindsey's mom on Facebook:

13 years ago today was a beautiful sunny first Friday of Summer vacation. I woke up to this beautiful face full of excitement. I had no way of knowing that before the day was over, she would be gone forever!
Her life was stolen by a MONSTER that dumped her alone in the woods!
I will NOT STOP HUNTING THIS MONSTER EVER!
Someone knows something. IF that someone has on ounce of humanity they will speak up!
It could have been your beautiful only daughter! As long as this MONSTER goes undetected, your daughter could be next. Never think it can’t happen to you because I guarantee you that it most certainly can!
There will be NO PEACE until there is JUSTICE!
💔


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I sure wonder if her mom has an inkling of who is responsible.
 
I sure wonder if her mom has an inkling of who is responsible.
I think she has suspects, as we all do. But I don't think she has her eyes set on anyone in particular. I could be wrong, and I don't mean to speak for her, but based on interviews she's done (including the recent podcast), that's how it seems. There are several people who stand out for different reasons. She was told that Bieker "looks good for Lindsey" when he was arrested, but never heard anything else.
 

Lindsey Baum: $40K Reward Offered to Solve Kidnap, Murder of 10-Year-Old Washington Girl​

A $40,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever kidnapped and murdered a 10-year-old Washington state girl, KOMO-TV reports.

Thirteen years ago on this date – June 26, 2009 – Lindsey Baum vanished without a trace from her small town in McCleary.

Investigators believe she was abducted while walking home after visiting a friend’s house just a few blocks away. Hunters in 2017 found a piece of Lindsey’s skull in a deeply wooded area, but the rest of her body has yet to be located, according to KCPQ-TV.

Now the girl’s mother, Melissa Baum, carries her daughter’s only known remains as ashes secured inside a pendant necklace.

“I want to know where the rest of my daughter is, priority number one,” Melissa Baum told KOMO-TV. “All I got back of her was a piece of her skull, and this is it, right here. This is my daughter.”

Baum said she can’t stand to look at photographs of the girl anymore because it is too painful.

“I rarely stop and look directly at them because that’s still hard,” Baum told the television station as she cried. “It’s looking at her face that gets me.”

Investigators have identified several persons of interest, including a man who was recently convicted of raping a teen in the town six years before Lindsey went missing.

Police also have assigned new investigators to the case and are working with state and federal law enforcement.

“We don’t know what happened to her, but we know she ended up deceased. Anybody who would do that to a 10-year-old girl is beyond what you and I can comprehend. It’s not normal,” investigator Darrin Wallace told KOMO-TV.

Wallace said he believes the case can be cracked.

“I do think it’s solvable, absolutely,” Wallace told KOMO-TV. “My gut, it’s just someone knows something. And someone feeling comfortable enough to say, ‘this is what I know.’”

Baum said she finds meaning in working to find justice for her daughter and will not relent until those responsible are held accountable.

“My daughter deserves to rest in peace,” Baum told the television station. “She was a beautiful, bright 10-year-old little girl. She was a 10-year-old little girl. There was no reason for anybody to take her other than sick, vile things.”
 

Evidence Search Conducted In Reference to Lindsey Baum Kidnapping Case​

Grays Harbor County Sheriffs Office says that they conducted a large-scale evidence search on the weekend of March 25th. The search was a coordinated search for evidence in a wooded area near West Fish Hatchery Rd (near Matlock) in Mason County. The search was conducted in reference to Grays Harbor County case 09-9617, the 2009 abduction and murder of Lindsey Baum. Lindsey was abducted on June 26th, 2009 while walking from a friend's house to her home in McCleary. In 2017, Lindsey's partial remains were located in a rural area near Ellensburg, Washington.

This search was conducted in reference a tip provided during the extensive investigation into this case.

The Sheriff's Office was assisted in these efforts by the following agencies:
Grays Harbor County Emergency Management
State SAR Planning Unit
Kitsap County Search and Rescue
King County Search and Rescue
Mason County Search and Rescue
Pierce County Search and Rescue
Snohomish County Search and Rescue
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Attorney General's HITS Investigators

160 plus professionals and volunteers who made this search happen. The disappearance and murder of Lindsey Baum is still being actively investigated, and anyone with any information is encouraged to contact investigators by calling (360) 964-1799, or emailing your information to baumtips@graysharbor.us.

 

'This case is very much active': A recent search renews hope in Lindsey Baum case​

A recent search in connection to Lindsey Baum’s case is renewing hope for her family and investigators to find her killer.


“She’d turn 25 on July 7th. That’s a long time for no answers,” Baum said.

“This case is very much active," said Rose Winquist, a private investigator working on the case. "In fact, it's the most active it's ever been and everyone is so happy about that."

Winquist has been working the case for 8 years and upped her involvement after Lindsey’s partial remains were found in 2017 in Ellensburg, 300 miles from McCleary.

“I think we are inching forward in a way that has never happened before,” Winquist said.

Three weeks ago, the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s office plus volunteers and several agencies including the FBI and The Attorney General's HITS Investigators searched a 10-acre piece of land in Mason County.

The Grays Harbor County Sheriff said the department circled back to a tip it received in that area shortly after Lindsey’s disappearance. Up to 25 items were recovered and are being looked at as possible evidence.

“I think because of the number of agencies involved, in this case now, that we’re going to see some really significant changes in the next year and have some real solid information come out,” said Winquist.

A newly elected sheriff and multi-agency task force are credited for reinvigorating Lindsey’s case.

“For the first time in a long time I have hope and that helps because I lost it for a long time," Baum said. "Probably for the past five years, I gave up hope that I would find answers."

While the search brings a new sense of hope, it simultaneously brings difficulty.

“Every time something like this comes up, no matter how good you’re doing it throws you right back to day one,” said Baum.

There’s a $41,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

“Somebody knows exactly what happened and the truth is going to come out," Baum said. "I'm never giving up. I'm never ever going to just stop."
 

Monday marks 14 years since McCleary girl Lindsey Baum vanished​

Monday marks 14 years since Lindsey Baum vanished. Her killer still has not been found.


In March of this year, the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office did a search for more evidence in the case. No evidence was reported to have been found.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 360-964-1799 or email baumtips@graysharbor.us.

In addition, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of those responsible for Baum’s disappearance.
 
If justice isn't seen on earth for this little girl, her perp will one day pay I believe in spades for what he did to this child.

I hope the thought eats at him every damned day of his life on earth of whether or not there is a hell.

Most perps don't think as we do but they DO worry about their own skin.

I have NO doubt he will pay in this lifetime or in the one or lack of one he will have in the beyond.
 

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