Police ‘don't have any evidence,' seek missing piece

By BECKY WALDROP
Gazette-Times reporter

At morning briefing at the Law Enforcement Building, Corvallis Police officers gather to hear the latest information on active cases each day.

And for the last 73 days, that briefing has included updates on the investigation into the disappearance of Brooke Wilberger. There have been peaks and valleys in the case Corvallis Police Department Capt. Jon Sassaman said earlier this week.

But no one is giving up.

"What we've got is investigators who know things don't always just come together," Sassaman said.

There've been moments of excitement when police think they're on the right track that have turned to frustration.

The investigation and finding Wilberger is a lot like a process of elimination, Sassaman said.

Unlike the Lori Hacking case in Salt Lake City that started as a missing person investigation, police here lack physical evidence. In the Utah case, authorities quickly suspected that Mark Hacking had killed and then hid the body of his pregnant wife last month. On Monday, Utah police arrested Hacking, charging him with aggravated murder, even though police have not found the body of his wife, Lori Hacking.

There were initial similarities the cases, with hundreds of volunteers searching for the missing women. But Wilberger vanished without a trace, leaving behind only her cleaning materials and a pair of flip-flop sandals in the Oak Park Apartment complex on May 24.

In the Hacking case, police had strong information and evidence that provided a clear direction to where their investigation should be focused, Sassaman said. Salt Lake City prosecutors said they discovered the murder weapon and a motive, enough evidence to establish probable cause to charge Mark Hacking.

"That's something we've lacked. We don't have any evidence. There's nothing that ties together to point us in a direction," Sassaman said.

The only named suspect in the Wilberger case is Sung Koo Kim, who remains in custody in Multnomah County, where he is charged with thefts and burglaries for allegedly stealing women's underwear.

Sassaman said that cases against Kim in three other counties have actually hindered their investigation of whether he had anything to do with Wilberger's disappearance.

"The unfortunate part is with the arrest, the attorneys and all the courtroom drama, it puts law enforcement at a standstill," Sassaman said. "We don't have access to him."

Kim's attorneys have asked for additional time to prepare for trials in four counties, including Benton. They have also refused police's requests to interview Kim, or to have him take a polygraph test to answer specific questions that could clear him of suspicion or help to build a case against him, Sassaman said.

As the only named suspect, a lot of attention has been focused on Kim; however, he's not the only suspect.

The FBI has advised investigators against focusing exclusively on one suspect until Wilberger is found.

"We're not dumping all the eggs into one basket," Sassaman said.

At least two dozen names have at one time been on police's short list of persons of significant interest. That list includes registered sex offenders and continues to evolve as police pursue possible leads, follow up on tips and as people's alibis are confirmed or refuted, Sassaman said.

Tips, such as the one that came from an employee at a home improvement store who reported to police and the media that Kim had purchased three cinder blocks the same day Wilberger disappeared, are screened to determine if they are valid.

"When someone calls and says, ‘We have this information,' we need to find out if they're actually telling us the truth," Sassaman said.

Police have found nothing the discredit the employee's tip, but it is not enough evidence to establish probable cause, or more reason to believe someone has committed a crime than he has not, or to charge Kim with a crime related to Wilberger's disappearance.

But the puzzle is coming together, Sassaman said, and investigators are hoping they'll find the missing piece that will allow them to break the case.

There isn't enough information to develop a profile of a suspect, Sassaman said. Police are careful not to make assumptions about the person or persons involved in Wilberger's abduction.

"Without (finding) Brooke, we'd be jumping to conclusions," he said.

Becky Waldrop covers public policy and education for the Gazette-Times. She can be reached at becky.waldrop@lee.net or 758-9510.