The Gray Area

One of today’s stories was a request sent in by a listener who was curious to know what happened to their childhood babysitter. The second case is making local headlines for offering a local council chair to a murderer. So let’s get into 2026 with the same damn stories, the same damn outrage and the same damn themes. Teenage girls, disposed of like trash, their killers usually facing the smallest of consequences. Today I’ll be telling you the stories of Robyn Johns and Nikki Thrasher.

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Robyn Johns - Corvallis Gazette Times

Nikki Thrasher in her 1991 yearbook

Nikki Thrasher in her 1992 yearbook

Nikki in her 1993 yearbook, for which she wrote many articles

One of Nikki's articles

Kyle Hedquist, being a big dumb baby about his own actions.

Kyle Hedquist in 2025- Statesman Journal

Accidental Autoerotic Deaths and Mental Disorder: A Scoping Review - PMC - Classmates.com 1984 Pendleton High - BeenVerified.com Report Richard Russell Meyer - Robyn Johns (1978-1996) - Find a Grave Memorial - Statesman Journal Dec 29 1996- Obituaries - Oregon Judicial Department- Online Records Search A99984 - History of Toledo - Corvallis Gazette Times- December 3 1996- Toledo police look for leads to missing woman - Oregon Judical Department Online Records Search, Meyer, Richard Russell - East Oregonian July 15 1985- Dispositions - Corvallis Gazette Times December 25 1996- Man charged in death of Toledo woman - The Oregonian October 8 1997- Toledo man goes on trial in death of woman, 18 - The Observer October 9 1997 Murder Trial Heats Up - The Register Guard October 10 1997- Trial begins in death of 18 year old woman - The Oregonian October 14 1997- Toledo man found guilty of intentionally killing teen - Visor.com Victim Information System in Oregon

The Observer October 14 1997- Jury convicts man in slaying - Corvallis Gazette-Times December 3 1996- Toledo police look for leads to missing woman - The Oregonian, December 24, 1996- Autopsy due on body of young woman - Statesman Journal, December 24, 1996 Newport: Body found may be missing teen - Corvallis Gazette Times, December 24, 1996- Body found may be that of Toledo woman - Statesman Journal December 27 1996- Obituaries

Convicted killer speaks out after controversy over police oversight board selection - Correspondence Press Release - The Oregonian Nov 29 1994- Woman's death a possible homicide - The Register Guard Nov. 29 1994- Equestrian finds body of woman - The Oregonian Nov 30 1994- Police Skeptical of Victim's Crime Report - The Oregonian December 1 1994- Roseburg teen held in slaying of woman - The Register Guard December 1 1994- Teen-ager arrested in woman's slaying - Statesman Journal Dec 2 1994- High School Senior Charged in Girl's Death - Albany Democrat Herald December 2 1994 - Murder part of coverup - The Register Guard November 18 1995- Killer pleads guilty, gets life sentence - Albandy Democrat Herald November 18 1995- Killer Sentenced - The Register Guard Oct 30 1999- Life Without

The Oregonian April 28 2022- Wyden: Brown's decision to free killer 'grossly irresponsible' - 

Statesman Journal, November 2,6 2025- Man's murder conviction puts future on police review board in question - Nikki Ranee Thrasher (1975-1994) - Find a Grave Memorial - The Register Guard Oct. 30 1999- Restoring Humanity - Convicted killer speaks out after controversy over police oversight board selection - Statesman Journal Dece 3 2001- Educating inmates about AIDS - The Oregonian May 6 2023- A swift shift from prison to politics