Memento

My eyes watered today when a friend of mine, who works at the new high school construction site, sent me an email with these photos attached:

“This is the only brick saved from the old RSS school.”

Brianne Wolgram - Brick Memento from RSS

Brianne Wolgram - Brick memento from RSS

Tags: brianne wolgram

Thirteen Years Later…

Every year since 1998, this weekend has been a sad time for many of us.

I often find myself pining over Brianne and those feelings are only emphasized during the September long weekend.

This year, I have had the sudden realization that the September long weekend should not be a time of sadness and loss.  We know more than we did last year and this is the annual moment when people stop and remember that we are still looking for Brianne.  This weekend will bring Brianne’s case much more attention than any other weekend of the year and, for that, I will be happy on this thirteenth year.

As of yet, I have not received any updates or responses from the RCMP since our meeting in March 2011. I know there have been some personnel changes within the department so I am not sure if my communications have been passed on to someone else.

I also emailed Dan Picken from Missing Children’s to review those meeting notes and get back to me with any answers but I have not received a response from him either.

I will keep trying to get answers.

If anyone would like to post something they have written, please let me know.

Thank you to everyone who has supported myself and this website over the last couple of years. Thank you to those who have willingly brought me information about Brianne’s case and to those who have put up with my questioning. Lastly, an extra big thank you to the people who have been helping me out of the straight-up goodness of their hearts. You know who you are. 

Anna

UPDATED Saturday, September 3, 2011: I’ve been informed that Dan Picken is no longer on Brianne’s case. Wendy Christensen is back on her file for MCSC.

Tags: brianne wolgram

For Brianne – From Cathy

I will never forget the last words you ever spoke to me. Ironically they were “Bye, Cathy.”

I was rushing out of McDonalds eager to get home after a long shift. You were still working and as I hurried out, you noticed me and said goodbye. I remember turning around and seeing you smile.

“Oh, See you later!” I said. But that was not to be.

Although we were never really close, I have a lot of treasured memories with you. You and I were very similar; shy at first, sometimes quiet and withdrawn, but given the right situation outgoing and funny. I remember working with you at McDonalds, and the two of us laughing so loud in the back that Dino had to tell us to be quiet because the customers could hear us. I remember working out at the gym with you, both of us agonizing over the fact that we were not “skinny”. We drove around town aimlessly, singing out the window and changing words to songs. Most of all I remember that our lockers were side by side for a few years and you always said hi to me, something that meant more than you’ll ever know during my early high school years when I was very shy.

When I first heard the news you had been missing for a few days, my first thought was that you just went somewhere and would be coming back. It wasn’t that I didn’t care, I think it was just beyond my comprehension at that age that something could have actually happened to you. It was beyond all of us. Even that December I remember going out for coffee with several of our friends “Brianne will be back” one of them said. We believed it with all of our hearts and souls that one day you would just walk back from wherever it was you had gone. We held on to that hope. I put the picture I took of your beautiful smile at dry grad up on my wall and attached the blue ribbon to it. Hope never dies. You would come home. Safe and sound and soon.

Somehow those months turned into years. 1998 turned into 1999, then 2000, then 2005… And so on. And somehow you were still not back. As we grew up, I think we began to let ourselves realise that maybe you wouldn’t just show up, smiling and ok and sorry for the worry. My thoughts turned to what had happened to you and hoping the police and Missing Children would find the answers. Then unimaginably, it neared a decade since I had last seen you and I decided that instead of just hoping someone would find answers, I would search for the answers myself.

I often wonder what you would be doing right now if you were still with us. Your grad write-up in the year book you said you wanted to travel and get married. I wonder if you would have travelled with me, or gone to Kelowna or Calgary to go to college like a lot of us did. I wonder if you would be married by now; kids maybe? You would have been at the grad reunion, and instead of signing a picture of you, we would have been laughing and joking with you. You would have your own Facebook page instead of a group dedicated to your memory.

I think a lot about the people that know where you are. I’m sure someone does. People do not just vanish. Someone knows, and for thirteen long years they have been silent. Many of us believe that whatever happened that night, it wasn’t meant to happen. Perhaps it was just an accident and no one is to blame, yet fear has been holding someone back. It is time for them to speak now, whether anonymously or not. I’m sure they feel like the hour of opportunity has passed. They must think, “Well, it’s been this long, I can’t speak now.” They must feel that they would be judged for waiting so long to speak. I would like to tell you, if you are reading this that I believe the opposite would be true. When you speak, you will be resolving a long painful issue for everyone involved- family, friends, the entire town of Revelstoke, and those that do not know us, but are nevertheless concerned. You would be releasing yourself from the agony that you undoubtedly feel everyday, you would release us from our nightmare, and most importantly you would be releasing Brianne to let her come home. Think of the difference you would be making in so many lives. Please make thirteen our lucky number.

I will never give up on you, Brianne. For as long as I live I will be searching for the answers and encouraging others to do the same. Sometimes it overwhelms me and I have to let it go for a little while and live my life. If I am no good to myself, I am no good to you. But rest assured that soon enough, something reminds me of you and I feel strong enough to search again; so I can make true what I said to you that August day in 1998-

“See you later Brianne”

Tags: brianne wolgram

A letter unsent – July 2011 (almost 13 years since disappearance)

Dear Brianne,

Another Labour Day approaches
Far too many years have passed
No one has solved your now cold-case
Why must this torture last?

I definitely miss your smile the most
You always made me laugh
We’ve had so many memories
But something stopped you in your path.

A cherub angel stands alone
To save your memory
But this stone statue is not enough
We need to know your story.

What happened on that fateful night
Remains a mystery
I know that someone knows something
Why won’t they tell?  Can’t they see?

How hard this is for your family
And all who miss and love you
To tell the truth, however hard
Is something they must do.

You are often in my thoughts, my dreams
And prayers to up above
If you are with the angels now
I wish you peace and love.

I hope that soon our little town
Will break their secrecy
And finally come clean the facts
That must haunt them regularly.

Until that day, I wait for you
Brianne, my dearest friend
And if you are among the stars
Save a place for me in the end.

Love Always,

Emily

*A plea to anyone out there,
Who knows a thing or two
Rise up from in the shadows, be brave
It is time to finally come true.

Tags: brianne wolgram

Happy Birthday, Brianne!

Today is Brianne’s 32nd birthday.

Wherever you are, there are many of us thinking of you! ♥

Maybe someone out there will find it in their heart to bring you home today.

 

Brianne Wolgram & Emily

 

 

Tags: brianne wolgram

Meeting with RCMP – March 17, 2011

Constable Jennifer McLean from 10:00 am – 12:45 pm.

She was very approachable and patient. She stated that she has looked through the file but does not have thorough knowledge on everything quite yet.

Here are our notes (questions are bolded):

 

7-11, Unknown Girls & Witnesses

When looking through media clippings, there are articles contradicting each other regarding the unknown girls that were last seen with Brianne at 7-11. In the beginning, there were only two composites with not enough details for a third. Later, one of the sketches of the two girls was used for a third girl. A lot of emphasis has been put on finding out who these girls are. Accuracy is of utmost importance. Please explain.

• This was a bit confusing for us to explain verbally.

• Cst. McLean wrote down the website address and will take a look at my post regarding the sketches of the 7-11 girls.

• I will follow up with an email to Sgt. Art Kleinsmith.

• Ask MCSC.

 

How confident were the witnesses about their memories and descriptions of these girls? I realize they had to be hypnotized in order to come up with the sketches we’ve all seen. Did the witnesses that were hypnotized know each other in any way? (were they together as a couple, friends, or totally separate people) Can you give any witnesses my contact information?

• Cst. McLean will refer witnesses to the Find Brianne website.

• She wasn’t sure about the accuracy of their descriptions or the method of hypnotism.

• Will look in to relationship of 7-11 witnesses.

• Ask MCSC.

 

There are also two separate media sources that report two seemingly different men seen at 7-11. One was a man seen filling his white truck with gas (quads in the truck bed). The other was a man in a red truck seen “leering” at the girls.

from the CBC -

Quote

Lee hypnotised a female friend of Brianne’s. Under hypnotism, she told Lee of a guy in a red truck that was hanging around Brianne and her girlfriends. He apparently was leering at the girls. This witness was able to help police come up with a composite drawing of the guy in the red truck.

What happened to the composite of this man? When and why did these men disappear from the story? Please explain. May I obtain a copy of this composite?

• I explained to Cst. McLean that I had heard the man in the white truck was found and removed from the equation.

• She did not remember seeing a male composite in Brianne’s file but will look in to it.

• Ask MCSC.

 

Is there really no 7-11 tape in existence? A 7-11 employee that was working that night states that this was an unusual occurrence. A media clipping describes some of the events that were taking place between these girls and Brianne (one girl leaning on hood of Brianne’s car, another went into the store with Brianne but they didn’t purchase anything).

• Cst. McLean stated that if there was a 7-11 tape, RCMP would use it to identify people.

 

The Car

• Obtained one photo (will also post separately) and was able to view the rest. This photo does show some damage to the front driver’s side of the car.

Brianne's Car in RCMP Garage

• We are allowed to describe the rest of the photos with text:

• Outside car on the ground: package of “Colts” (cigarillos), can of Budweiser, empty air freshener package

• Inside car: 1 yellow and 1 red air freshener hanging from rearview mirror, beach towel, 1 pouch of cigarettes on console between driver and passenger seat (looks to be either Players brand or Number 7 blue), 6-pack of Grower’s Blackberry Wine Coolers (visibly you can only see two coolers still in the box – one cooler is open – the other closed, the box is only open on one side)

• The dash and outside of the car are dusty.

• The foliage around the car is quite heavy. The passenger door is ajar as described in media. The passenger window is open. Keys are in the ignition and they appear to be in the “off” position.

 

The entire car was inspected. Does this include the under carriage? Was the ignition set to “on” or “off”? Were the head lights set to “on” or “off”? What gear was the car in? Was the parking brake “on” or “off”?

• The most I could get was what we could see in the photos mentioned above.

• Cst. McLean said car inspections are very thorough.

 

Does RCMP think the car was simply pushed down the gully? How long do they figure the car was sitting there and why? Does the scene seem staged?

• Cst. Mclean did not wish to give her opinion on how the car was placed in the gully.

• She did give the opinion that the car was probably there the whole time (since Saturday night). I’m sure she would like me to stress this as her opinion. The photos do show the car to be fairly dusty, contrary to our previous belief.

 

There are rumors the car was wiped clean? Is this true or false?

• Cst. McLean did not say but did state that it is difficult to lift finger prints from a very dusty vehicle, particularly 5 days later. It is also difficult to lift finger prints from the inside of a vehicle due to textured surfaces, etc. Dust causes problems when trying to lift prints.

 

Were any strange finger prints found whatsoever? Apparently, there were smudged prints on the coolers and there was one set of unidentified prints. If so, where were the unknown finger prints found on the vehicle?

• Cst. McLean did not say.

 

A size 11 men’s boot print was found in the dirt close to Brianne’s car. Do police believe this foot print is suspicious? Apparently no cast of the boot print was taken. Is there a photo? May I obtain a copy?

• Cst. McLean did not say but did state that it could have been difficult because the area was dry and dusty, or it may have only been a partial print. There could have been dirt moving around the print, making it difficult to tell the make and model of the boot. This may be why a cast was not taken.

 

I found more contradictions in regard to the tracking dogs. The dogs picked up Brianne’s scent just outside her vehicle and at the end of Front Street. One media clipping describes the dogs losing her scent 3 metres from the car. Was it just outside the car, or 3 metres from the car? How did the dogs pick her scent up at the end of Front Street? (what brought them there) Please explain.

• Cst. McLean did not seem to know much about this. MCSC may have more information regarding details on how and why the tracking dogs were used. The RCMP did use their own dogs and MCSC also had some brought in.

 

Which areas did the tracking dogs cover when looking for Brianne over the years?

• Cst. McLean will look in to finding this information (which areas were searched by RCMP dogs). MCSC will also have information on this.

 

Was DNA preserved from the coolers? Were any tests done?

• Cst. McLean did not say.

 

Please describe the coolers in Brianne’s car. There are many different rumors about the details of the coolers. Please explain and clarify.

• Cst. McLean did not say but I think she will look in to confirming details on the wine coolers.

 

There were cigarette butt(s) found in the car. Please explain in better detail.

• Cst. McLean did not say but I think she will look in to confirming details on the cigarette butt(s).

 

Search Areas

Please detail all areas that have been searched. Mapping would be great. I will ask MCSC and any other third parties for the same information and make a universal map. A new search should be organized when the snow melts.

We talked about how the Akolkolex area was well searched. Cst. McLean mentions that the dam may have been searched, possibly by MCSC divers. She doesn’t know which areas were searched all together but she will find out which areas were searched according to RCMP. Volunteer grid searches were also done.

 

Miscellaneous Evidence/Witnesses

Were phone records of Brianne’s number ever retrieved and investigated?

• Cst. McLean did not say.

 

Do the police save media footage that has been released over the years? Is there any footage of vigils, news casts, etc.? If so, may I have copies of this footage?

• Cst. McLean stated that news releases by RCMP are saved and she would look in to whether or not she could get me copies (if there are any).

 

Where was all video surveillance retrieved from? Please list locations in Revelstoke where surveillance was inspected for traces of Brianne. I realize not everywhere in Revelstoke had this type of security back then but would still like to know everywhere that was checked.

• Cst. McLean was not sure of all locations. She said she would find out.

 

There was video surveillance of Brianne in the Cheers Beer & Wine Store that night. Can that footage be released to better show how she looked that night? I remember Brianne having a characteristic walk. I think this would really give people a great picture of her appearance.

• Cst. McLean will find out if it would be possible for us to obtain a copy of this video.

 

Brianne’s jewelry: Why was the jewelry Brianne was wearing that night never described to the public? Can we have this information? I received as much detail as Sheryl Wolgram could remember and posted on the website. Was a necklace found? Were pawn shops checked (Sicamous, Salmon Arm, etc.)?

• Cst. McLean will look in to this.

 

Did anyone report seeing Brianne the evening of Friday, September 4, 1998? There’s a period of time where we aren’t sure if she went directly home. A few people reported thinking they saw her in the bar (Rock Pit) on Friday night.

• Cst. McLean will look in to this.

 

The girl seen by the hunter at Akolkolex on the morning of Sunday, September 6, 1998: She was apparently in the area after having a fight with her boyfriend. This seems odd. Is there a better explanation for her presence out there?

• Cst. McLean agreed that this does seem odd and would look in to this story further.

 

Other

Are there any timelines of Brianne’s movements made by RCMP on file? May I have a copy? I have had a few requests for a timeline.

• Cst. McLean did not seem to think there was an existing timeline on file.

 

We found some city council minutes on the Internet, dated February 9, 2010:

Moved by Councillor Welock, seconded by Councillor Halberstadt that S/Sgt. J. Olsen provide an update to Council In Camera on the Brianne Wolgram missing person case within approximately 45 days.

CARRIED

What was the result of the update? Why was an update given to city council and not the public? We were told this information was not open to the public (by the city). What was the nature of this update? Please explain.

• Cst. McLean will look in to this.

 

This is an ongoing investigation. I’ve heard this a few times now. I understand this to mean the case has not gone “cold” but it doesn’t seem like much has been going on over the last several years. Please explain.

• Cst. McLean stated that the case is technically cold. The case is considered “ongoing” because, over the last 12+ years, different investigators have gone over the file and will continue to do so. She does plan on better familiarizing herself with the file and will re-interview, etc., in the future. She thinks this will take a long period of time.

Tags: brianne wolgram

Find Owen Rooney

Brianne Wolgram has been missing for 12.5 years. This has made it very difficult to find answers to questions that are only coming up now; when memories have faded.

Owen Rooney has been missing for over six months, since August 14, 2010.  Please take a look at Owen’s story so we can help find him sooner, rather than later.

Owen Rooney

From http://www.find-owen.com/:

“We are the Rooney family from Australia and are desperately searching for our son Owen, who walked away from the hospital and his belongings in Grand Forks, BC, on August 14, 2010. He has not been heard from since. It is extremely unusual for him to not be in contact with friends and family.

He had sustained a head injury on Aug 12.

He is 5’9″ tall, 160 lb, has an Australian accent and was last seen wearing a dark shirt and shorts. He has tattoos on his right calf and on his shoulder (see pictures below, right). He worked at Big White in Kelowna for the past two winters and at a restaurant in Kelowna until his disappearance.

We are asking for your help and are most appreciative of any help you can give us. If you can print out posters and put them up, that would help a LOT (click here for PDF of poster, or visit this site and right click to print). Read below to see where posters have already been placed.

Our Facebook page is Help Find Owen Rooney. To share via Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, etc, there is a row of icons next to the word Comments under each post. Just click on the appropriate one. Facebook gives you two choices for the thumbnail you can use. I suggest you use the picture of Owen. I can’t get it to be the default.

Do you have any further ideas? Enter any info by clicking a Comments link below. Thanks!!

Contact Grand Forks RCMP: 250-442-8288 or Kelly Rooney: 778-686-3534 or Crimestoppers: 1-800-222-8477 or email:srooney@hotkey.net.au “

Tags: brianne wolgram, owen rooney

Photos of Echo Lake Road, Akolkolex, and Brianne’s car

These photos belong to Sheryl Wolgram. They were taken in the spring of 1999.

Echo Lake Road. Brianne's car was found in the gully just up ahead, to the right.

Side of the road where Brianne's car went down.

Cliff looking down at where Brianne's car was found.

Site where Brianne's car was found.

Site where Brianne's car was found.

6 miles south of Revelstoke - Back of Mt. MacPherson

6 miles south of Revelstoke - Back of Mt. Begbie

Brianne's car at home.

Tags: brianne wolgram

Meeting with RCMP

I am meeting with Revelstoke RCMP on March 17, 2011.

The purpose of this meeting (for me) is to get answers to some long-standing questions.

Excerpt from email:

“I would be more then willing to sit down and meet with you and learn what information you have gathered. I will let you know that due to this still being an ongoing investigation, we cannot provide you with any information, but we can take what you have an cross reference anything on our end.”

I am really hoping they are able to elaborate on details they have already given to the public/media over the last 12.5 years. Though many of us would like previously unreleased information, I’m sure I will not get that far. So, I am in the midst of making a list. If you have anything you would like me to add, please do not hesitate to comment on this post or contact me.

I will make a post detailing the meeting when I get home on March 17, so please check back. Wish me luck!

Tags: brianne wolgram

Is something wrong with this picture?

For a long time, I’ve been confused about the sketches of the “three girls”. Here’s why:

These sketches are used as three different females widely throughout the media:

Then, I keep seeing this:

These four pictures have been explained as only two girls. The caption below reads “Composite drawings of two of three girls last seen with Brianne”. The two on the left are from one sketch artist and witness, the two on the right are from another sketch artist and witness. The two witnesses lived in different cities; one was hypnotized in Vancouver, the other in Edmonton. The pairs are similar in appearance, which suggests the two witnesses were describing the same girls.

I’ve rearranged the photos below for visual representation:

Mainly, what I find strange is that the posters and articles that are widely circulated (top) are using three of these sketches for three different girls, but here we only see two girls.

Why, when, and how did these sketches turn into three different females?

Tags: brianne wolgram