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Ep. 149 Crossed Paths
- Murder in the Rain
- Jul 17, 2023
- 3 min read
In 1978 Oregon saw an uptick of crimes against children and panic swelled to an all-time high when two girls went missing within weeks of each other. Our first case today revolves around the disappearance of 12-year-old Ann Marie Ellinwood who went missing during a March of Dimes Walk-a-thon in Corvallis. The second involves 11-year-old Stephanie Ann Newsom, who vanished while delivering newspaper advertisements near her home in Salem. Both girls were last seen walking on local paths and, in both cases, witnesses claimed to have seen them with a similar man.
Episode Host: Emily Rowney
A portion of the March of Dimes Walk-a-thon route from Corvallis, OR 1978
Ann's friends left her on the portion of the path where the Willamette River (north to south) meets the Mary's river (east to west).
Photos: 1. Ann Elllinwood 2. The confluence where her friends last saw her 3. The last sighting of Ann was on the path where it went through Pioneer Park 4. The white trailer witnesses saw next to Ann and the male suspect she was speaking to
Stephanie disappeared along a path she walked on between her home and Walker Junior High School.
Photos: 1. Stephanie Ann Newsom 2. The wooded area near her home she disappeared from 3. Chevrolet Bel Air witnesses spotted her in
Stephanies body was discovered in the Ankeny National Wildlife Preserve, roughly 10 miles south of Salem, OR.
Witness testimony and tattling friends (our favorite kind) lead police to consider Earl Frederick "Woody" Chambers as their prime suspect.
In images 1-3, you can see him with his signature sandy blond hair and mustache. Unfortunately, witnesses were shown the image on the right, where he had died his hair and shaved after the abduction, leading one witness to believe it was not the same person who tried to abduct her.
Karen's case is still unsolved
Previous Murder in the Rain Episodes Mentioned
Episode 3 "Minnesota Plates" the abduction of Brooke Wilberger
Listen on YouTube
Read our Blog
Episode 25 "Junkyard Shoes" the story of the Oregon serial killer Jerry Brudos
Listen on YouTube
Read our Blog
Episode 30 "Nightmare Year" the story of Richard Kitchel
Listen on YouTube
Read our Blog
Episode 38 "Number 5" the story of serial killer Randall Woodfield
Listen on YouTube
Read our Blog
Episode 40 "Complicit" the story of Karly Sheehan
Listen on YouTube
Read our Blog
Sources
Statesman Journal - Police Solve 36 Year Old Case | DoeNetwork - Ann Marie Ellinwood | The Charley Project - Ann Marie Ellinwood | KVAL - Retired Cop Solves 1978 Case | Brians Prediction - Ann Marie Ellinwood | Gazette Times - 04.17.1978 Girl Disappears during walk-a-thon | Statesman Journal - After 36 years, a murder is solved | Gazette Times - New Facts Point to Kidnapper | Corvallis Gazette-Times - 04.17.1978 | Gazette Times - 06.08.1978 Police Press Search | Gazette Times - 12.28.1978 News Reflected Through The Year | Gazette Times - 04.25.1978 ‘You Get Numb’ | Gazette Times - Ellinwood Family | Gazette Times - 04.20.1978 - Second Mid Valley Girl Disappears | Statesman Journal - 04.28.1978 Body found south of Salem | Statesman Journal - 04.28.1978 | The Capital Journal - 04.28.1978 Girl was strangled | The Capital Journal - 06.27.1978 No new leads | Albany Democrat-Herald - 06.12.1978 Earl Chambers | Albany Democrat-Herald - 06.07.1978 | Statesman Journal - 06.22. 1978 Mystery still surrounds Ellinwood case | The Capital Journal - 06.20.1978 Abduction girl's death 'not linked' | Corvallis Gazette-Times - 04.28.1978 Body in field identified as Salem girl | Longview Daily News - Abducted school girl | Eugene - Cold Cases | KVAL - He saw something | KTVL - Cold case investigators | The Capital Journal 04.20.1978 Salem girl's abduction is feared | The Statesman Journal 0 04,20,1978 11-year-old Salem girl disappears in W. Salem | Statesman Journal - 04.28.1978 Caution Not Overreaction |
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This episode highlights two deeply heartbreaking cases that had a significant impact on communities across Oregon. The similarities between the disappearances of Ann Marie Ellinwood and Stephanie Ann Newsom are especially unsettling, particularly the reports of both girls being seen with a similar individual before they vanished. Cases like these remind us of the fear and uncertainty that families and communities experience when children go missing.
I appreciate how the episode brings attention to these historical cases and helps keep the memories of the victims alive. True crime stories can also encourage important discussions about child safety, community awareness, and the ongoing efforts of investigators to seek answers.
While these events occurred decades ago, they continue to resonate because of…
Cases from the late 1970s still leave a heavy feeling because so many families never received clear answers. The details about the witnesses, the walking paths, and the suspect changing his appearance show how small moments can completely affect an investigation. Stories like these also remind people how much communities changed their daily habits after crimes involving children became more common. Parents started paying closer attention to safety in every part of life. Even simple precautions today, such as securing equipment with a lock for 2 battery setup, reflect how people try to prevent risks before something goes wrong.
Episode 149 is such a haunting look at how quickly lives can intersect in the most tragic ways—the detailed storytelling and deep respect you always show for the victims really sets this podcast apart. As a university student, I find myself listening to your investigative deep-dives during late-night study breaks to keep my mind sharp, though trying to jump back into my actual schoolwork afterward can be a massive adjustment! This past month, the analytical side of my studies got particularly brutal, and the data formatting for my final finance portfolio became so overwhelming that I actually used an accounting coursework help service just to ensure my ledger balances were accurate. Offloading that tedious spreadsheet work was a massive relief, as…
The "Crossed Paths" episode was such a haunting reminder of how fragile our daily routines really are and how quickly a normal day can turn into something out of a nightmare. As a long-time listener, I find that diving into these true crime stories is my go-to way to decompress, though lately, it’s been a struggle to find the time between my heavy lab reports and research papers. I actually had to look for some online science homework help last week just to stay on top of my chemistry modules so I could finally sit down with a coffee and give this episode my full attention. It’s terrifying to think about the random intersections of life mentioned in this case, but…