The location where Brooke Wilberger was murdered

This is the location where Brooke Wilberger was murdered.

On September 22nd, 2009, the authorities discovered Wilberger's body on this abandoned logging road between the towns of Blodgett and Wren in Oregon.

By that point, the 19-year-old had been missing for more than five years.

On May 25th, 2004, a man named Joel Patrick Courtney approached Wilberger while she was cleaning lights at the Oak Park Apartments in Corvallis.

Courtney walked over to the young student with a FedEx envelope and pretended to be a delivery driver who needed directions. When he got close enough, he produced a knife and started dragging her back to his van.

Although two tenants in the complex heard a woman screaming, nobody went outside to see what was happening.

Once Wilberger was in the van, Courtney restrained her using duct tape. He then drove for 12 miles before pulling onto this disused logging road outside of Wren.

After raping the 19-year-old, he reportedly kept her alive at this location for 24 hours before bludgeoning her to death.

The teenager's disappearance remained a mystery until 2007, when Courtney was convicted of raping another woman.

After honing in on him as a possible suspect, investigators learned that he had been in Corvallis on the day that Wilberger went missing. Furthermore, several witnesses remembered seeing his green van on the day in question.

A subsequent forensic examination of the van uncovered Wilberger's DNA and hair.

Courtney eventually confessed to the crime after the authorities charged him with murder and announced that they would seek the death penalty.

During his confession, he revealed details about the crime and pinpointed the exact location where he had hidden his victim's body.

A search of the area led to the discovery of Wilberger's skeletal remains. According to District Attorney John Haroldson, they were "well hidden" in a spot that was roughly 500 yards up the road.

Photos

Photos of the site and other related images.

Crime scene

This is a Google Street View image of the isolated logging road where Joel Patrick Courtney murdered Brooke Wilberger.

The image was taken in June 2018, roughly eight years after the police uncovered the 19-year-old's remains.

Map

This aerial map shows the general area where the police discovered her remains.

The District Attorney said that she was hidden in a spot that was 500 yards up the road (red circle).

Oak Park Apartments

Courtney approached Wilberger at the Oak Park Apartments in Corvallis.

At the time, she was at the very end of the parking lot. As a result, she was trapped at a dead end with no way out.

Earlier that day, Courtney had attempted to abduct two other women in Corvallis. However, both of his targets managed to escape.

View Location

Courtney drove 12 miles west

After abducting the teenager, Courtney drove 12 miles west before pulling onto an abandoned road on his right. During the journey, he would have traveled through the towns of Philomath and Wren.

Logging road

The (blurry) news footage on the left was recorded while police were searching the area in September 2009. The Google Street View image on the right is from 2013.

2022

Image source: Google Maps

The image above was captured in August 2022. These days, a concrete barrier blocks the entrance to the logging road.