Joel Patrick Courtney
Vanished!
On the morning of May 24, 2004, Brooke Wilberger, a beautiful blonde, blue-eyed coed who had just completed her freshman year at Brigham Young University, was washing lampposts in the Corvallis, Oregon apartment complex managed by her sister and brother-in-law. One moment she was there, the next moment, she was gone. She left behind her flip flops, a pail of sudsy water, and no witnesses to her disappearance.
Brooke, an honor student, athlete, a devout Mormon and an integral part of her church community, was last seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt, a gray Brigham Young t-shirt, dark blue jeans, small hoop earrings, maybe a silver watch, and a ring with "CTR" engraved on it (Choose The Righta Mormon tradition). She was 5'4" and weighed 105 pounds. She had a scar from a gymnastic accident that extended from her wrist to her elbow on her right forearm.
When police arrived at the apartment complex, they found her sandals askew, leading them to suspect a struggle. Her purse, keys and other personal items were left in her sister's apartment, and her car was still in the parking lot.
It was clear to everyone involved that whatever had happened, Brooke did not leave the parking lot willingly.
Only one man saw something. His name was Brian, and he called the police, saying he'd seen a green minivan driving erratically. Before he could explain further, the call was disconnected, and he never called back. It was a tiny bit of information, just one of too many tips from helpful citizens.