Post by Scumhunter on Jun 29, 2015 8:15:57 GMT -5
The now two decades old unsolved murder of James Phillip Brooks was aired on the August 20th, 2005 episode of America's Most Wanted. Below is a recent article on the case:
Although the 20-year-old murder of a local young cowboy remains unsolved, a local author remains determined to see justice
It’s been 20 years since a young cowboy named James Phillip Brooks lost his life on a hillside near the Fopiano Ranch, where he worked and followed his passion as a ranch hand.
Brooks was only 23 years old on that fateful day of Sept. 20, 1994, and he was struck down by a high-powered rifle from a nearby point among the pine trees by an unknown shooter.
Shortly after the murder, local author Rick Steber started following the case. He went with a Warm Springs tracking team to the clearing where Phil Brooks was murdered, and what he saw and experienced had a big impact on Steber.
“The only place where there was any vegetation growing—it was buttercups—was where Phillip Brooks’ body lay,” said Steber. “I thought that was a powerful symbol somehow.”
He went on to explain that he felt a strong presence.
“Whether that was Phillip or that was my imagination, I don’t know. But at that point, I said, “I’m going to dig into this and I am going to go as far as it takes to try and get justice done.”’
Steber was true to his promise, and after 17 years of research, he published a riveting account of the case in “Caught in the Crosshairs.” The book came out in 2011.
He made the statement that he was afraid that while he was writing the book, something would happen to him in the middle of the night.
“People knew I was writing it,” he added.
“It’s a compelling story about an injustice,” added Steber. “I have followed it through all the way. When I wrote the book, I figured there were two possibilities. One, I would get shot. The other, I would get sued. I have been threatened on both.”
Despite the atrocity of the crime, it remained unsolved, and it wasn’t until 2002 before a Wheeler County Grand Jury was convened. The crime remains unsolved to this day, and the killer is still at large. Steber ‘s book is based on much of the information he gathered during those 17 years between 1994 and 2011.
In one part of the book, Steber recounts that when Brooks was murdered by the fatal shot, he had a can of chew in his hand—which ultimately rolled down the hill by the crime scene.
“So it tells you several things. He wasn’t confronting somebody at that point—he didn’t even see the shooter.”
Despite only being within four-to-five miles of the ranch, Brooks had changed directions quite suddenly on his way back, heading up a hill in the opposite direction. It was early in the evening, and he was riding alone. Other evidence showed that his horse had been running wide open just before the murder took place.
“It’s usually the easiest thing as to what actually happened,” Steber said. “The answer to this whole thing, is what turned him up that hill, and what did he find when he got up there?”
Steber compared his tenacity on the case like a “dog with a bone.”
“I just thought it was something worth sticking my neck out, because nobody else was fighting for him.”
He said that he was hoping that the book would bring out some new information, like having someone to come forward who might know something, or have a guilty conscience.
Shortly after the book came out, an official from the Department of Justice read it, and assigned two investigators to the case. However, nothing has come from it, and the Oregon Attorney General has yet to move forward in the case. At one point, America’s Most Wanted came to the scene of the crime and did a special segment on the case. Still, nothing came from it.
He is hopeful that someone, somewhere, knows something that could bring enough evidence to reconvene the Wheeler County Grand Jury.
Steber believes that if the pertinent questions are asked and answered by individuals who previously didn’t come forward, the case could possibly be resolved and the guilty be brought to trial.
“Maybe there is a little shred of evidence that could break the case,” he said.
Thoughts? Unfortunately, this case still has more questions than answers. The AMW archive lists a few theories or possible motives including:
"Was it because of a land dispute? A woman? A simple hunting accident? Or has a cold-blooded murderer roamed free for more than a decade?"
However, two decades later, we still don't know. But the fact a book was written on the case, and there's still articles about it, shows there are people who are still interested in solving it.
cni.pmgnews.com/ceo/162-news/234142-98915-still-searching-for-answers
web.archive.org/web/20060208011539/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=31714
Admin Note #1: According to an online article, Anyone with any information on this case should contact the Oregon Attorney General's Office: www.doj.state.or.us/Pages/contact.aspx
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
