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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend May 21, 2006 Search for killer continues in Butte Falls By anita burke Mail Tribune Oregon State Police Detective Deanna Harris has 11 binders filled with reports, interviews and other evidence in the 2001 murder of Butte Falls resident Blanche Campbell, but she wants more. She's asking the community for information on the mystery surrounding the death of Campbell, 80, whose body was found May 8, 2001, in the burned rubble of her rural home on Obenchain Road. Investigators said the house was set ablaze to cover up her murder. Police have never released the cause of death or named any suspects. Harris recently has taken on the case after the original lead investigator, Maureen Bedell, was promoted to lieutenant. "This was Bedell's only unsolved case," Harris said. The new lieutenant chose the thorough, detail-oriented Harris to take over the investigation that still weighs on her mind five years later. "Personally, this case was very difficult," Bedell said. "Blanche was a totally innocent older person. She had lived there for years and was liked and respected." Neighbors spotted the fire about 4:40 a.m. and tried to get in to help Campbell, a widow who lived alone. But they were blocked by locked doors and extreme heat, news reports from the time said. By the time firefighters arrived moments later, flames had engulfed the two-story, four-bedroom home, which was built by Campbell's husband in 1974. Fire crews battled the blaze, which threatened to spread to nearby trees, for an hour before bringing it under control. When Campbell's body was removed that afternoon, the community believed she had succumbed to smoke, but police soon reported that she had died in homicidal violence, likely before the fire started. Campbell's son, Rick Campbell, recalls the growing suspicion of fire investigators and medical examiners that finally triggered the attention of Jackson County's interagency major assault and death investigation team. "At first they suspected the stove, but they kept coming back," he said. "They asked for pictures of inside the house and we knew something was fishy. Then they called us into the OSP office there in Central Point after the autopsy." Rick Campbell said he knows how his mother died because of an autopsy report he obtained as a family member, providing some closure. "Now I know what happened to Mom. It's good to know what happened," he said. But he declined to reveal her cause of death because police asked him not to. Arson investigators sifted through ashes and carried away evidence, while officers and volunteers combed the roadsides and forestland for clues, he said. Evidence was collected, but didn't lead clearly back to a suspect, Harris said. However, investigators say they have enough evidence to convict when they finally find that elusive link. In the months after Campbell's death, detectives tracked a variety of leads and interviewed more than 100 people, creating the massive case file that now sits with Harris. Detectives have eliminated several suspicious people who were considered to be of interest in the investigation, she reported. "I know this case was worked really hard," she said. "It's just unfortunate that we weren't able to find and arrest a suspect." Campbell's family offered a $10,000 reward, which still stands, for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the murder and arson. "It's been too long," said Rick Campbell, who has built a new home on the family property where his mother died. "I don't have much optimism." Still, he believes certain people — he calls them "druggies" and "lowlifes" — know something and will eventually talk about it. "They'll be at a party and shoot their mouth off," he speculates. "Somebody might slip up." Harris agrees and hopes that anyone who has seen or heard anything will come forward. "This is going to be solved by someone talking rather than by what was found at the scene," she said. "I'm surprised we haven't gotten more from the community. You would think word would get around in a small town." She hopes the word will wend her way, even as she plows through the case report so far and works to balance the five-year-old homicide investigation with the constant stream of new cases assigned to her each day. She vows to follow up every tip, new and old. "This just deserves to be solved," Harris said. "She was such an innocent victim." Anyone with information on the case can call Harris at 776-6236, ext. 247. Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews