Cold cases are an unfortunate reality around the nation. To help respond to this locally, in June 2024, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office established a new cold case and missing persons unit, made possible by public safety tax funding. Lieutenant Mike Brooks says the unit is a team effort led by Detective George Oplinger. Oplinger brings more than two decades of experience, including more than seven years as a detective.
“Prior to our unit, we handed these out to detectives working other cases as well,” says Brooks. Now, Oplinger’s position is specifically dedicated to investigating these challenging unsolved cases. In that work, the unit uses both current scientific methods along with traditional investigative techniques.
“We are trying to follow best practices,” Brooks explains, noting that staff attend trainings on new investigative tools. “We learn new techniques and get new resources, plus we have the full power of our detectives backing them.”
Investigating Thurston County Unsolved Murder and Missing Persons Cases is a Collaborative Effort Utilizing New and Traditional Techniques
Brooks says Oplinger works with Sheriff’s Office staff and the Washington State Patrol’s forensics specialists. “It’s not just one person doing it, it’s an entire team,” Brooks says. “We get together with the forensic scientists. We hear what can be done, suggestions they might have.” He says the Patrol’s scientists weigh in if new scientific techniques might be explored in an unsolved case. “It’s a collaborative effort by detectives, support staff and scientists,” Brooks explains.
Brooks notes that the science is always developing, and technology changes can offer new opportunities to re-examine evidence. “Sometimes miniscule pieces of evidence can break a case wide open,” he says. “When the technology gets there, it’s exciting. We get excited about an avenue that will solve these cases.”
The unit also continues to use the traditional investigative methods such as tracking down new leads; reviewing the case file’s physical evidence, photos and records; and interviewing witnesses.
Questioning witnesses often involves re-interviewing persons who gave statements earlier. It also means contacting witnesses who may have been unwilling to talk to investigators at the time the crime was committed or when the person went missing, or the witness could not be reached back then but is available today. Brooks says that sometimes when witnesses are separated from the event by the passage of time or their life circumstances change, they have a different perspective and are more willing to share information with law enforcement.
Families Are Another Resource for Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit’s Investigative Staff
The unit also considers family members’ ideas or suggestions on avenues to pursue. He views the family members as part of the team. “It takes a village,” Brooks says. He says family members often have “inside knowledge” about the dynamics of what led up to the event being investigated or can give updates to law enforcement. “They will reach out and ask, ‘do you know this’ or ‘do you know that,’” he explains. For example, a family member might have the current phone number of a witness the detectives could not reach at the time the homicide or disapparance occurred.
The unit aims to keep families informed about any information that can be shared with them, given the complexities in a particular case. “We share with them what we can, and what we share with the public,” he says. “Some cases are very, very involved.”
Examples of High Profile Thurston County Unsolved Homicide and Missing Persons Cases
The full circumstances surrounding disappearances are often unknown, such as whether the person left voluntarily, met with an accident, committed suicide or was murdered. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, a national centralized repository and resource center, lists more than 30 Thurston County missing persons cases. Project Cold Case, a database of unsolved homicides, lists two unsolved murder cases in Thurston County. At least three of the local cases in these national databases are high profile. “These cases are always on our mind, among others,” says Brooks.
- Karen Bodine. Bodine’s (37) body was found near a gravel pit in Rochester in 2007.
- Nancy Moyer. Moyer (36) went missing from her Tenino home in 2009.
- Logan Schiendelman. Schiendelman (19), of Tumwater, disappeared in 2016.
Armchair detectives watching documentaries on unsolved murders or missing persons cases may consider the featured investigations as interesting mysteries. But for law enforcement and victims’ families, these cold cases represent much more, including frustration and heartache. If the cases are solved, investigators may be able to pursue the next steps in the criminal justice system for any crimes that occurred, and families can begin to move on with their lives.
To submit tips on these or other unsolved homicide or missing persons cases, call the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office at 360.786.5500 or email TCSOcoldcase@co.thurston.wa.us.
