CORVALLIS, Ore. - Next month will mark the second anniversary of the abduction of 19-year-old Brooke Wilberger and the beginning of a case that gripped the nation.

Wilberger has not been seen since May 24, 2004, when she vanished from a Corvallis apartment complex. Her disappearance set off a massive search that involved thousands of volunteers, many of them from Oregon State University, as well as law enforcement authorities.

On Tuesday, May 2, Brooke's mother, Cammy Wilberger, will address the community and thank the university and volunteers from throughout the area for their extraordinary efforts to find her daughter. She'll also discuss the role that her family's spiritual faith played in sustaining them throughout the tragedy. The event begins at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. It will be held at OSU's LaSells Stewart Center, 26th Street and Western Boulevard in Corvallis.

In addition to Cammy Wilberger's remarks, Benton County Emergency Management Coordinator Peggy Pierson and Corvallis Police Department Lt. Ron Noble will speak on the impact of the Wilberger search on the local community, as well as on each of them.

Though Brooke Wilberger remains missing, authorities last year arrested Joel Patrick Courtney, a New Mexico man who grew up in Oregon, and subsequently charged him with Wilberger's murder. Courtney is currently standing trial for rape in Albuquerque.

Source: 

Tom Sherry,
541-758-1777

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